Debian package information is generally stored in files having a special file format, dubbed the Debian control file format (the dctrl format), a special case of the record jar file format. These tools operate on any files conforming in a general sense to that format and are therefore widely applicable whenever those formats are in play.
Included are:
grep-dctrl - Grep dctrl-format files grep-available - Grep the DPKG available database grep-status - Grep the DPKG status database grep-aptavail - Grep the APT available database
sort-dctrl - Sort dctrl-format files
tbl-dctrl - Tabulate dctrl-format files
sync-available - Sync the dpkg available database with
the apt database