1columns(1)                       User Commands                      columns(1)
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NAME

6       columns - Columnize Input Text
7

SYNOPSIS

9       columns [-flags] [-flag [value]] [--option-name[[=| ]value]]
10
11       All arguments must be options.
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13

DESCRIPTION

15       There is no description for this command.
16

OPTIONS

18   Specify the output dimensions
19       -W num, --width=num
20              Maximum  Line Width.  This option takes an integer number as its
21              argument.  The value of num is constrained to being:
22                  in the range  16 through 4095
23              The default num for this option is:
24                   79
25
26              This option specifies the full width of the output line, includ‐
27              ing any start-of-line indentation.  The output will fill each
28              line as completely as possible, unless the column width has been
29              explicitly specified.  If the maximum width is less than the
30              length of the widest input, you will get a single column of out‐
31              put.
32
33       -c count, --columns=count
34              Desired number of columns.  This option takes an integer number
35              as its argument.  The value of count is constrained to being:
36                  in the range  1 through 2048
37              The default count for this option is:
38                   0
39
40              Use this option to specify exactly how many columns to produce.
41              If that many columns will not fit within line_width, then the
42              count will be reduced to the number that fit.
43
44       -w num, --col-width=num
45              Set width of each column.  This option takes an integer number
46              as its argument.  The value of num is constrained to being:
47                  in the range  1 through 2048
48              The default num for this option is:
49                   0
50
51              Use this option to specify exactly how many characters are to be
52              allocated for each column.  If it is narrower than the widest
53              entry, it will be over-ridden with the required width.
54
55       --tab-width=num
56              tab width.  This option takes an integer number as its argument.
57              The default num for this option is:
58                   8
59
60              If an indentation string contains tabs, then this value is used
61              to compute the ending column of the prefix string.
62
63   Specify how to lay out the text
64       --spread=num
65              maximum spread added to column width.  This option takes an in‐
66              teger number as its argument.  The value of num is constrained
67              to being:
68                  in the range  1 through 1024
69              The default num for this option is:
70                   0
71
72              Use this option to specify exactly how many characters may be
73              added to each column.  It allows you to prevent columns from be‐
74              coming too far apart.  Without this option, columns will attempt
75              to widen columns to fill the full width.
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77       --fill Fill lines with input.  This option must not appear in combina‐
78              tion with any of the following options: spread, col_width,
79              by_columns.
80
81              Instead of columnizing the input text, fill the output lines
82              with the input lines.  Blank lines on input will cause a blank
83              line in the output, unless the output is sorted.  With sorted
84              output, blank lines are ignored.
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86       -I l-pfx, --indent=l-pfx
87              Line prefix or indentation.
88
89              If a number, then this many spaces will be inserted at the start
90              of every line.  Otherwise, it is a line prefix that will be in‐
91              serted at the start of every line.
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93       --first-indent=l-pfx
94              First line prefix.  This option must appear in combination with
95              the following options: indent.
96
97              If a number, then this many spaces will be inserted at the start
98              of the first line.  Otherwise, it is a line prefix that will be
99              inserted at the start of that line.  If its length exceeds "in‐
100              dent", then it will be emitted on a line by itself, suffixed by
101              any line separation string.  For example:
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103                  $ columns --first='#define TABLE' -c 2 -I4 --line=' ´ <<_EOF_
104                  one
105                  two
106                  three
107                  four
108                  _EOF_
109                  #define TABLE         one   two         three four
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111       -f fmt-str, --format=fmt-str
112              Formatting string for each input.
113
114              If you need to reformat each input text, the argument to this
115              option is interpreted as an sprintf(3) format that is used to
116              produce each output entry.
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118       -S sep-str, --separation=sep-str
119              Separation string - follows all but last.
120
121              Use this option if, for example, you wish a comma to appear af‐
122              ter each entry except the last.
123
124       --line-separation=sep-str
125              string at end of all lines but last.
126
127              Use this option if, for example, you wish a backslash to appear
128              at the end of every line, except the last.
129
130       --ending=end-str
131              string at end of last line.
132
133              This option puts the specified string at the end of the output.
134
135   Specify the ordering of the entries
136       --by-columns
137              Print entries in column order.
138
139              Normally, the entries are printed out in order by rows and then
140              columns.  This option will cause the entries to be ordered
141              within columns.  The final column, instead of the final row, may
142              be shorter than the others.
143
144       -s key-pat, --sort [key-pat]
145              Sort input text.
146
147              Causes the input text to be sorted.  If an argument is supplied,
148              it is presumed to be a pattern and the sort is based upon the
149              matched text.  If the pattern starts with or consists of an as‐
150              terisk (*), then the sort is case insensitive.
151
152   Redirecting stdin to an alternate file
153       -i file, --input=file
154              Input file (if not stdin).
155
156              This program normally runs as a filter, reading from standard
157              input, columnizing and writing to standard out.  This option
158              redirects input to a file.
159
160       -?, --help
161              Display usage information and exit.
162
163       -!, --more-help
164              Pass the extended usage information through a pager.
165
166       -> [cfgfile], --save-opts [=cfgfile]
167              Save the option state to cfgfile.  The default is the last con‐
168              figuration file listed in the OPTION PRESETS section, below.
169              The command will exit after updating the config file.
170
171       -< cfgfile, --load-opts=cfgfile, --no-load-opts
172              Load options from cfgfile.  The no-load-opts form will disable
173              the loading of earlier config/rc/ini files.  --no-load-opts is
174              handled early, out of order.
175
176       -v [{v|c|n --version [{v|c|n}]}]
177              Output version of program and exit.  The default mode is `v', a
178              simple version.  The `c' mode will print copyright information
179              and `n' will print the full copyright notice.
180

OPTION PRESETS

182       Any option that is not marked as not presettable may be preset by load‐
183       ing values from configuration ("RC" or ".INI") file(s) and values from
184       environment variables named:
185         COLUMNS_<option-name> or COLUMNS
186       The environmental presets take precedence (are  processed  later  than)
187       the  configuration  files.   The homerc files are ".", and "$HOME".  If
188       any of these are directories, then the file .columnsrc is searched  for
189       within those directories.
190

ENVIRONMENT

192       See OPTION PRESETS for configuration environment variables.
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FILES

195       See OPTION PRESETS for configuration files.
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EXIT STATUS

198       One of the following exit values will be returned:
199
200       0  (EXIT_SUCCESS)
201              Successful program execution.
202
203       1  (EXIT_FAILURE)
204              The operation failed or the command syntax was not valid.
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206       66  (EX_NOINPUT)
207              A specified configuration file could not be loaded.
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209       70  (EX_SOFTWARE)
210              libopts  had an internal operational error.  Please report it to
211              autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net.  Thank you.
212

SEE ALSO

214       This program is documented more fully in the  Columns  section  of  the
215       Add-On chapter in the AutoGen Info system documentation.
216

AUTHORS

218       Bruce Korb
219
221       Copyright  (C)  1999-2017 Bruce Korb all rights reserved.  This program
222       is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License,  version
223       3 or later.
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BUGS

226       Please send bug reports to: autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net
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NOTES

229       This  manual  page  was  AutoGen-erated from the columns option defini‐
230       tions.
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234GNU AutoGen (1.2)                 19 Jul 2023                       columns(1)
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