content = "Now is the time" lp = # user pattern machting to open file and assign it to variable with {:ok, file} = File.open("/etc/passwd"), content = IO.read(file, :all), :ok = File.close(file), # use regex to find uid and guid. MatchError, if there's no such user. [_, uid, gid] = Regex.run(~r/^root:.*?:(\d+):(\d+)/m, content) do "Group: #{gid}, User: #{uid}" end # => Group: 26, User: 26 IO.puts(lp) # => Now is the time IO.puts(content)