tbl(1)
Name
tbl − format tables for nroff or *roff
Syntax
tbl [files...]
Description
The tbl preprocessor is used for formatting tables for nroff or *roff. The input files are copied to the standard output, except for lines between .TS and .TE command lines, which are assumed to describe tables and are reformatted.
Options
−TXProduces output without fractional line motions. Use when the destination output device or printer or post-filter cannot handle fractional line motions.
−msReads in ms macros prior to table formatting.
−mmReads in the mm macros prior to table formatting, if your system has the *roff mm macros installed.
Examples
As an example, letting \t represent a tab (which should be typed as a genuine tab) the input
.TS
c s s
c c s
c c c
l n n.
Household Population
Town\tHouseholds
\tNumber\tSize
Bedminster\t789\t3.26
Bernards Twp.\t3087\t3.74
Bernardsville\t2018\t3.30
Bound Brook\t3425\t3.04
Branchburg\t1644\t3.49
Bridgewater\t7897\t3.81
Far Hills\t240\t3.19
.TE
yields
| Household Population | ||
| Town | Households | |
| Number | Size | |
| Bedminster | 789 | 3.26 |
| Bernards Twp. | 3087 | 3.74 |
| Bernardsville | 2018 | 3.30 |
| Bound Brook | 3425 | 3.04 |
| Branchburg | 1644 | 3.49 |
| Bridgewater | 7897 | 3.81 |
| Far Hills | 240 | 3.19 |
If no arguments are given, tbl reads the standard input, so it may be used as a filter. When tbl is used with eqn or neqn, the tbl command should be first, to minimize the volume of data passed through pipes.
See Also
nroff(1)
"Tbl - A Program to Format Tables," ULTRIX Supplementary Documents, Vol. I:General User