tabs(1) CLIX tabs(1)
NAME
tabs - Sets tabstops on a terminal
SYNOPSIS
tabs [tabspec] [-code] [-Ttype] [+mn]
FLAGS
-code The codes parameter specifies a canned set of tabs. The
applicable 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 corresponds to column 8, and a tab
reaches column 12. Files using this tab setup should
include a format specification as follows (see fspec()):
<: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 (see fspec()):
<: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, any of the following flags may also be used; if a
given flag occurs more than once, the last given value takes
effect:
-Ttype The tabs command needs to know the type of terminal in order to
set both tabs and margins. The arguments and parameters for type
are listed in term(4). If no -T flag is supplied, the tabs
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tabs(1) CLIX tabs(1)
command uses the value of the environment variable $TERM. If
$TERM is not defined in the environment (see environ(4)), the
tabs command will use a default sequence which will usually work
with most terminals.
+mn The margin argument may 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. For a TermiNet, the first value in the tab list should be
1, or the margin will move even further to the right. The normal
(leftmost) margin on most terminals is obtained by +m0. The
margins for most terminals are reset only when the +m flag is
given explicitly.
DESCRIPTION
The tabs command sets tabstops on the user's terminal according to the tab
specification (tabspec) parameter, after first clearing any previous
settings. The user's terminal must have remotely-settable hardware tabs.
When using the tabs command, users can select one of the following types
of tab specifications:
⊕ canned (-code)
⊕ repetitive (-n)
⊕ arbitrary (n1,n2,...)
⊕ file (--file)
If no tabspec is given, the default value is -8 (that is, UNIX system
standard tabs). The lowest column number is 1. Note that for the tabs
command, column 1 always refers to the leftmost column on a terminal, even
one whose column markers begin at 0 (for example, the DASI 300, DASI 300s,
and DASI 450).
-n This flag represents a repetitive specification which requests
tabs at columns 1+n, 1+2*n, and so on. Of particular
importance is the value 8 (this represents the UNIX system
``standard'' tab setting, and is usually the tab setting found
at most terminals). Another special case is the value 0,
implying no tabs at all.
n1,n2,... This string sets an arbitrary format flag permitting 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. Therefore,
the formats 1,10,20,30, and 1,10,+10,+10 are considered
identical.
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tabs(1) CLIX tabs(1)
--file If the name of a file is given, the tabs command reads the
first line of the file, searching for a format specification
(see fspec()). If it finds one there, it sets the tab stops
according to it, otherwise it sets them as -8. This type of
specification may be used to make sure that a tabbed file is
displayed with correct tab settings, and would be used with
the pr(1) command:
tabs --file
pr file
Tab and margin settings are performed with stdout.
EXAMPLES
1. An example using the -code (canned specification) to set tabs to the
settings required by the IBM assembler: columns 1, 10, 16, 36, 72.
tabs -a
2. An example using the -n (repetitive specification), where n is 8,
which causes tabs to be set every eighth position: (1+(1*8), 1+(2*8),
... which evaluate to columns 9, 17, ...
tabs -8
3. An example of using n1,n2,... (arbitrary specification) to set tabs at
columns 1, 8, and 36.
tabs 1,8,36
4. See fspec() for an example of using the --file (file specification)
when indicating that tabs are to be set according to the first line of
$HOME/fspec.list/att4425.
tabs --$HOME/fspec.list/att4425
NOTES
There is no consistency among different terminals regarding ways of
clearing tabs and setting the left margin.
The tabs command clears only 20 tabs (on terminals requiring a long
sequence), but is capable of setting 64.
CAUTIONS
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tabs(1) CLIX tabs(1)
The tabspec argument, which is used with the tabs command, is different
from the one used with the newform command. For example, tabs -8 sets
every eighth position; whereas, newform -i-8 indicates that tabs are set
every eighth position.
DIAGNOSTICS
The following diagnostic messages are issued for the tabs command:
illegal tabs
Indicates that an arbitrary tab(s) string was input incorrectly.
illegal increment
Indicates that a zero or missing increment was found in an
arbitrary specification.
unknown tab code
Indicates that the canned code could not be found.
can't open
The system issues this message when the --file option is used, and
the file cannot be opened.
file indirection
This message is issued when the --file option is used and the
specification in that file points to yet another file. This type
of redirection is not permitted.
EXIT VALUES
The tabs command returns a 0 when tabs are successfully set and returns a
1 when an error occurs.
RELATED INFORMATION
Commands: newform(1), pr(1), tput(1)
Functions: fspec(4), terminfo(4)
Miscellany: environ(4), term(4)
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