ldig

#!/bin/bash 
# ldig - (local dig)
# look up a domain in a hosts file, with dig (+short) syntax
hosts=${hosts-./hosts}
if [ -z "$1" ]; then 
  echo "Usage: $0 [-x someip OR somedomain.com]"
  exit 1
elif [ "$1" == "-x" ]; then 
  if [ -z "$2" ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 [-x someip OR somedomain.com]"
  else
    shift
    for ip in $@; do
      if test -r $hosts; then
        grep -i "^$ip\s" "$hosts" | awk '{print $2}'
      elif test -r /etc/hosts; then
        echo using file /etc/hosts >&2
        grep -i "^$ip\s" /etc/hosts | awk '{print $2}'
      else
        echo cannot find local hosts file, using system dig >&2
        dig +short -x "$ip"
      fi
    done
  fi
else
  for dom in $@; do 
    if test -r $hosts; then
      grep -i "^[^\#].*\s[www\.]*$dom\(\s\|\$\)" "$hosts" | awk '{print $1}'  # regex, beautiful regex :)
    elif test -r /etc/hosts; then
      echo using file /etc/hosts >&2
      grep -i "^[^\#].*\s[www\.]*$dom\(\s\|\$\)" /etc/hosts | awk '{print $1}'
    else
      echo "cannot find local hosts file, using system dig" >&2
      dig +short "$dom"
    fi
  done
fi