tabs(1) tabs(1)
NAME [Toc] [Back]
tabs - set tabs on a terminal
SYNOPSIS [Toc] [Back]
tabs [tabspec] [+m n] [-T type]
DESCRIPTION [Toc] [Back]
tabs sets the tab stops on the user's terminal according to the tab
specification tabspec, after clearing any previous settings. The
user's terminal must have remotely-settable hardware tabs.
If you are using a non-HP terminal, you should keep in mind that
behavior will vary for some tab settings.
Four types of tab specification are accepted for tabspec: ``canned'',
repetitive, arbitrary, and file. If no tabspec is given, the default
value is -8; i.e., UNIX ``standard'' tabs. The lowest column number
is 1. Note that for tabs, column 1 always refers to the left-most
column on a terminal, even one whose column markers begin at 0.
-code Gives the name of one of a set of ``canned'' tabs. Recognized
codes and their meanings are as follows:
-a 1,10,16,36,72
Assembler, IBM S/370, first format
-a2 1,10,16,40,72
Assembler, IBM S/370, second format
-c 1,8,12,16,20,55
COBOL, normal format
-c2 1,6,10,14,49
COBOL compact format (columns 1-6 omitted). Using
this code, the first typed character corresponds
to card column 7, one space gets you to column 8,
and a tab reaches column 12. Files using this tab
setup should have tabs specify a format
specification file as defined by --file below.
The file should have the following format
specification:
<:t-c2 m6 s66 d:>
-c3 1,6,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38,42,46,50,54,58,62,67
COBOL compact format (columns 1-6 omitted), with
more tabs than -c2. This is the recommended format
for COBOL. The appropriate format specification
is:
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tabs(1) tabs(1)
<:t-c3 m6 s66 d:>
-f 1,7,11,15,19,23
FORTRAN
-p 1,5,9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57,61
PL/I
-s 1,10,55
SNOBOL
-u 1,12,20,44
UNIVAC 1100 Assembler
In addition to these ``canned'' formats, three other types exist:
-n A repetitive specification requests tabs at columns 1+n,
1+2xn, etc. Of particular importance is the value -8:
this represents the UNIX ``standard'' tab setting, and is
the most likely tab setting to be found at a terminal.
Another special case is the value -0, implying no tabs at
all.
n1,n2,... The arbitrary format permits the user to type any chosen
set of numbers, separated by commas, in ascending order.
Up to 40 numbers are allowed. If any number (except the
first one) is preceded by a plus sign, it is taken as an
increment to be added to the previous value. Thus, the
tab lists 1,10,20,30 and 1,10,+10,+10 are considered
identical.
--file If the name of a file is given, tabs reads the first line
of the file, searching for a format specification. If it
finds one there, it sets the tab stops according to it,
otherwise it sets them as -8. This type of specification
can be used to ensure that a tabbed file is printed with
correct tab settings, and is suitable for use with the pr
command (see pr(1)):
tabs -- file; pr file
Any of the following can be used also; if a given option occurs more
than once, the last value given takes effect:
-Ttype tabs usually needs to know the type of terminal in order
to set tabs and always needs to know the type to set
margins. type is a name listed in term(5). If no -T
option is supplied, tabs searches for the $TERM value in
the environment (see environ(5)). If TERM is not defined
in the environment, tabs tries a sequence that will work
for many terminals.
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tabs(1) tabs(1)
+mn The margin argument can be used for some terminals. It
causes all tabs to be moved over n columns by making
column n+1 the left margin. If +m is given without a
value of n, the value assumed is 10. The normal (leftmost)
margin on most terminals is obtained by +m0. The
margin for most terminals is reset only when the +m option
is given explicitly.
Tab and margin setting is performed via the standard output.
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES [Toc] [Back]
Environment Variables
LC_CTYPE determines the interpretation of text within file as singleand/or
multi-byte characters.
LC_MESSAGES determines the language in which messages are displayed.
If LC_CTYPE or LC_MESSAGES is not specified in the environment or is
set to the empty string, the value of LANG is used as a default for
each unspecified or empty variable. If LANG is not specified or is
set to the empty string, a default of "C" (see lang(5)) is used
instead of LANG.
If any internationalization variable contains an invalid setting, tabs
behaves as if all internationalization variables are set to "C". See
environ(5).
International Code Set Support [Toc] [Back]
Single- and multi-byte character code sets are supported.
DIAGNOSTICS [Toc] [Back]
illegal tabs
Arbitrary tabs are ordered incorrectly.
illegal increment
A zero or missing increment found in an arbitrary specification.
unknown tab code
A ``canned'' code cannot be found.
can't open
--file option was used and file cannot be opened.
file indirection
--file option was used and the specification in that file points
to yet another file. Indirection of this form is not permitted.
WARNINGS [Toc] [Back]
There is no consistency among different terminals regarding ways of
clearing tabs and setting the left margin.
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tabs(1) tabs(1)
It is generally impossible to usefully change the left margin without
also setting tabs.
tabs clears only 20 tabs (on terminals requiring a long sequence), but
is willing to set 64.
SEE ALSO [Toc] [Back]
nroff(1), pr(1), tset(1), environ(5), term(5).
STANDARDS CONFORMANCE [Toc] [Back]
tabs: SVID2, SVID3, XPG2, XPG3, XPG4
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