columns
(1)
Name
columns - Columnize Input Text
Synopsis
columns [-flag [value]]... [--opt-name [[=| ]value]]...
All arguments must be options.
Description
User Commands COLUMNS(1)
NAME
columns - Columnize Input Text
SYNOPSIS
columns [-flag [value]]... [--opt-name [[=| ]value]]...
All arguments must be options.
DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents, briefly, the columns command.
This program was designed for the purpose of generating com-
pact, columnized tables. It will read a list of text items
from standard in or a specified input file and produce a
columnized listing of all the non-blank lines. Leading
white space on each line is preserved, but trailing white
space is stripped. Methods of applying per-entry and per-
line embellishments are provided. See the formatting and
separation arguments below.
This program is used by AutoGen to help clean up and orga-
nize its output.
OPTIONS
-W num, --width=num
Maximum Line Width. This option takes an integer num-
ber as its argument. The default num for this option
is:
79
This option specifies the full width of the output
line, including any start-of-line indentation. The
output will fill each line as completely as possible,
unless the column width has been explicitly specified.
If the maximum width is less than the length of the
widest input, you will get a single column of output.
-c count, --columns=count
Desired number of columns. This option takes an inte-
ger number as its argument. The default count for this
option is:
0
Use this option to specify exactly how many columns to
produce. If that many columns will not fit within
line_width, then the count will be reduced to the num-
ber that fit.
-w num, --col-width=num
Set width of each column. This option takes an integer
number as its argument. The default num for this
option is:
0
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Use this option to specify exactly how many characters
are to be allocated for each column. If it is narrower
than the widest entry, it will be over-ridden with the
required width.
--spread=num
maximum spread added to column width. This option
takes an integer number as its argument. The default
num for this option is:
0
Use this option to specify exactly how many characters
may be added to each column. It allows you to prevent
columns from becoming too far apart.
-I l-pfx, --indent=l-pfx
Line prefix or indentation.
If a number, then this many spaces will be inserted at
the start of every line. Otherwise, it is a line pre-
fix that will be inserted at the start of every line.
--first-indent=l-pfx
First line prefix. This option must appear in combina-
tion with the following options: indent.
If a number, then this many spaces will be inserted at
the start of the first line. Otherwise, it is a line
prefix that will be inserted at the start of that line.
--tab-width=num
tab width. This option takes an integer number as its
argument. The default num for this option is:
8
If an indentation string contains tabs, then this value
is used to compute the ending column of the prefix
string.
-s key-pat, --sort[=key-pat]
Sort input text.
Causes the input text to be sorted. If an argument is
supplied, it is presumed to be a pattern and the sort
is based upon the matched text. If the pattern starts
with or consists of an asterisk (*), then the sort is
case insensitive.
-f fmt-str, --format=fmt-str
Formatting string for each input.
If you need to reformat each input text, the argument
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User Commands COLUMNS(1)
to this option is interpreted as an sprintf(3) format
that is used to produce each output entry.
-S sep-str, --separation=sep-str
Separation string - follows all but last.
Use this option if, for example, you wish a comma to
appear after each entry except the last.
--line-separation=sep-str
string at end of all lines but last.
Use this option if, for example, you wish a backslash
to appear at the end of every line, except the last.
--by-columns
Print entries in column order.
Normally, the entries are printed out in order by rows
and then columns. This option will cause the entries
to be ordered within columns. The final column,
instead of the final row, may be shorter than the oth-
ers.
-i file, --input=file
Input file (if not stdin).
This program normally runs as a filter, reading from
standard input, columnizing and writing to standard
out. This option redirects input to a file.
-?, --help
Display usage information and exit.
-!, --more-help
Extended usage information passed thru pager.
-v [{v|c|n}], --version[={v|c|n}]
Output version of program and exit. The default mode
is `v', a simple version. The `c' mode will print
copyright information and `n' will print the full copy-
right notice.
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following
attributes:
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User Commands COLUMNS(1)
+---------------+-------------------------+
|ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+---------------+-------------------------+
|Availability | developer/build/autogen |
+---------------+-------------------------+
|Stability | Uncommitted |
+---------------+-------------------------+
SEE ALSO
This program is documented more fully in the Columns section
of the Add-On chapter in the AutoGen Info system documenta-
tion.
AUTHOR
Bruce Korb
Please send bug reports to: autogen-users@lists.source-
forge.net
Released under the GNU General Public License.
This manual page was AutoGen-erated from the columns option
definitions.
NOTES
This software was built from source available at
https://java.net/projects/solaris-userland. The original
community source was downloaded from
http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/autogen/rel5.9/autogen-5.9.tar.gz
Further information about this software can be found on the
open source community website at http://www.gnu.org/soft-
ware/autogen/.
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