1TBL(1) General Commands Manual TBL(1)
2
6 tbl - format tables for troff
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9 tbl [ -Cv ] [ files... ]
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12 This manual page describes the GNU version of tbl, which is part of the
13 groff document formatting system. tbl compiles descriptions of tables
14 embedded within troff input files into commands that are understood by
15 troff. Normally, it should be invoked using the -t option of groff.
16 It is highly compatible with Unix tbl. The output generated by GNU tbl
17 cannot be processed with Unix troff; it must be processed with GNU
18 troff. If no files are given on the command line, the standard input
19 will be read. A filename of - will cause the standard input to be
20 read.
21
23 -C Recognize .TS and .TE even when followed by a character other
24 than space or newline.
25 -v Print the version number.
27
29 tbl expects to find table descriptions wrapped in the .TS (table start)
30 and .TE (table end) macros. The line immediately following the .TS
31 macro may contain any of the following global options (ignoring the
32 case of characters -- Unix tbl only accepts options with all characters
33 lowercase or all characters uppercase):
34 center Centers the table (default is left-justified). The alternative
36 keyword name centre is also recognized (this is a GNU tbl exten‐
37 sion).
38 delim(xy)
40 Use x and y as start and end delimiters for eqn(1).
41 expand Makes the table as wide as the current line length.
43 box Encloses the table in a box.
45 doublebox
47 Encloses the table in a double box.
48 allbox Encloses each item of the table in a box.
50 frame Same as box (GNU tbl only).
52 doubleframe
54 Same as doublebox (GNU tbl only).
55 tab(x) Uses the character x instead of a tab to separate items in a
57 line of input data.
58 linesize(n)
60 Sets lines or rules (e.g. from box) in n-point type.
61 nokeep Don't use diversions to prevent page breaks (GNU tbl only).
63 Normally tbl attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the table
64 by using diversions. This can sometimes interact badly with
65 macro packages' own use of diversions, when footnotes, for exam‐
66 ple, are used.
67 decimalpoint(c)
69 Set the character to be recognized as the decimal point in
70 numeric columns (GNU tbl only).
71 nospaces
73 Ignore leading and trailing spaces in data items (GNU tbl only).
74 The global options must end with a semicolon. There might be white‐
76 space after an option and its argument in parentheses.
77 After global options come lines describing the format of each line of
79 the table. Each such format line describes one line of the table
80 itself, except that the last format line (which you must end with a
81 period) describes all remaining lines of the table. A single key char‐
82 acter describes each column of each line of the table. You may run
83 format specs for multiple lines together on the same line by separating
84 them with commas.
85 You may follow each key character with specifiers that determine the
87 font and point size of the corresponding item, that determine column
88 width, inter-column spacing, etc.
89 The longest format line defines the number of columns in the table;
91 missing format descriptors at the end of format lines are assumed to be
92 `L'. Extra columns in the data (which have no corresponding format
93 entry) are ignored.
94 The available key characters are:
96 c,C Centers item within the column.
98 r,R Right-justifies item within the column.
100 l,L Left-justifies item within the column.
102 n,N Numerically justifies item in the column: Units positions of
104 numbers are aligned vertically.
105 s,S Spans previous item on the left into this column.
107 a,A Centers longest line in this column and then left-justifies all
109 other lines in this column with respect to that centered line.
110 ^ Spans down entry from previous row in this column.
112 _,- Replaces this entry with a horizontal line.
114 = Replaces this entry with a double horizontal line.
116 | The corresponding column becomes a vertical rule (if two of
118 these are adjacent, a double vertical rule).
119 A vertical bar to the left of the first key-letter or to the right of
121 the last one produces a line at the edge of the table.
122 Here are the specifiers that can appear in suffixes to column key let‐
124 ters:
125 b,B Short form of fB (make affected entries bold).
127 i,I Short form of fI (make affected entries italic).
129 t,T Start an item vertically spanning rows at the top of its range
131 rather than vertically centering it.
132 d,D Start an item vertically spanning rows at the bottom of its
134 range rather than vertically centering it (GNU tbl only).
135 v,V Followed by a number, this indicates the vertical line spacing
137 to be used in a multi-line table entry. If signed, the current
138 vertical line spacing is incremented or decremented (using a
139 signed number instead of a signed digit is a GNU tbl extension).
140 A vertical line spacing specifier followed by a column separa‐
141 tion number must be separated by one or more blanks. No effect
142 if the corresponding table entry isn't a text block.
143 f,F Either of these specifiers may be followed by a font name
145 (either one or two characters long), font number (a single
146 digit), or long name in parentheses (the last form is a GNU tbl
147 extension). A one-letter font name must be separated by one or
148 more blanks from whatever follows.
149 p,P Followed by a number, this does a point size change for the
151 affected fields. If signed, the current point size is incre‐
152 mented or decremented (using a signed number instead of a signed
153 digit is a GNU tbl extension). A point size specifier followed
154 by a column separation number must be separated by one or more
155 blanks.
156 w,W Minimal column width value. Must be followed either by a
158 troff(1) width expression in parentheses or a unitless integer.
159 If no unit is given, en units are used. Also used as the
160 default line length for included text blocks. If used multiple
161 times, the last entry takes effect.
162 e,E Make equally-spaced columns.
164 u,U Move the corresponding column up one half-line.
166 z,Z Ignore the corresponding column for width-calculation purposes.
168 A number suffix on a key character is interpreted as a column separa‐
170 tion in ens (multiplied in proportion if the expand option is on).
171 Default separation is 3n.
172 The format lines are followed by lines containing the actual data for
174 the table, followed finally by .TE. Within such data lines, items are
175 normally separated by tab characters (or the character specified with
176 the tab option). Long input lines can be broken across multiple lines
177 if the last character on the line is `\' (which vanishes after concate‐
178 nation).
179 A dot starting a line, followed by anything but a digit is handled as a
181 troff command, passed through without changes. The table position is
182 unchanged in this case.
183 If a data line consists of only `_' or `=', a single or double line,
185 respectively, is drawn across the table at that point; if a single item
186 in a data line consists of only `_' or `=', then that item is replaced
187 by a single or double line, joining its neighbours. If a data item
188 consists only of `\_' or `\=', a single or double line, respectively,
189 is drawn across the field at that point which does not join its neigh‐
190 bours.
191 A data item consisting only of `\Rx' (`x' any character) is replaced by
193 repetitions of character `x' as wide as the column (not joining its
194 neighbours).
195 A data item consisting only of `\^' indicates that the field immedi‐
197 ately above spans downward over this row.
198 A text block can be used to enter data as a single entry which would be
200 too long as a simple string between tabs. It is started with `T{' and
201 closed with `T}'. The latter must start a line, probably followed by
202 other data columns (separated with tabs).
203 To change the data format within a table, use the .T& command (at the
205 start of a line). It is followed by format and data lines (but no
206 global options) similar to the .TS request.
207
209 tbl(1) should always be called before eqn(1) (groff(1) automatically
210 takes care of the correct order of preprocessors).
211
213 There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor any limit on
214 the number of text blocks. All the lines of a table are considered in
215 deciding column widths, not just the first 200. Table continuation
216 (.T&) lines are not restricted to the first 200 lines.
217 Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the same column.
219 Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.
221 tbl uses register, string, macro and diversion names beginning with the
223 digit 3. When using tbl you should avoid using any names beginning
224 with a 3.
225
227 You should use .TS H/.TH in conjunction with a supporting macro package
228 for all multi-page boxed tables. If there is no header that you wish
229 to appear at the top of each page of the table, place the .TH line
230 immediately after the format section. Do not enclose a multi-page ta‐
231 ble within keep/release macros, or divert it in any other way.
232 A text block within a table must be able to fit on one page.
234 The bp request cannot be used to force a page-break in a multi-page ta‐
236 ble. Instead, define BP as follows
237 .de BP
239 .ie '\\n(.z'' .bp \\$1
240 .el \!.BP \\$1
241 ..
242 and use BP instead of bp.
244 Using \a directly in a table to get leaders will not work. This is
246 correct behaviour: \a is an uninterpreted leader. To get leaders use a
247 real leader, either by using a control A or like this:
248 .ds a \a
250 .TS
251 tab(;);
252 lw(1i) l.
253 A\*a;B
254 .TE
255
257 Lesk, M.E.: "TBL -- A Program to Format Tables". For copyright reasons
258 it cannot be included in the groff distribution, but copies can be
259 found with a title search on the World Wide Web.
260
262 groff(1), troff(1)
263Groff Version 1.18.1.4 16 September 2002 TBL(1)