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NAME

       columns - Columnize Input Text

SYNOPSIS

       columns [-flag [value]]... [--opt-name [[=| ]value]]...

       All arguments must be options.

DESCRIPTION

       This  manual  page briefly documents the columns command.  This program
       was designed for the purpose of generating compact, 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 organize its
       output.

OPTIONS

       -W num, --width=num
              Maximum Line Width.  This option takes an integer number as  its
              argument.  The value of num is constrained to being:
                  in the range  16 through 4095
              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 integer number
              as its argument.  The value of count is constrained to being:
                  in the range  1 through 2048
              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 number that fit.

       -w num, --col-width=num
              Set width of each column.  This option takes an integer number
              as its argument.  The value of num is constrained to being:
                  in the range  1 through 2048
              The default num for this option is:
                   0

              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 value of num is constrained
              to being:
                  in the range  1 through 1024
              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.

       --fill Fill lines with input.  This option must not appear in
              combination with any of the following options: spread,
              col_width, separation, line_separation, by_columns, sort.

              Instead of columnizing the input text, fill the output lines
              with the input lines.  Blank lines on input will cause a blank
              line in the output.

       -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 prefix that will be
              inserted at the start of every line.

       --first-indent=l-pfx
              First line prefix.  This option must appear in combination 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 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 others.

       -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 extended usage information and exit.

       -!, --more-help
              Extended usage information passed thru pager.

       -> [rcfile], --save-opts[=rcfile]
              Save the option state to rcfile.  The default is the last
              configuration file listed in the OPTION PRESETS section, below.

       -< rcfile, --load-opts=rcfile, --no-load-opts
              Load options from rcfile.  The no-load-opts form will disable
              the loading of earlier RC/INI files.  --no-load-opts is handled
              early, out of order.

       -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 copyright notice.

OPTION PRESETS

       Any option that is not marked as not presettable may be preset by
       loading values from configuration ("RC" or ".INI") file(s) and values
       from environment variables named:
         COLUMNS_<option-name> or COLUMNS
       The  environmental  presets  take precedence (are processed later than)
       the configuration files.  The homerc files are ".",  and  "$HOME".   If
       any  of these are directories, then the file .columnsrc is searched for
       within those directories.

SEE ALSO

       This program is documented more fully in the  Columns  section  of  the
       Add-On chapter in the AutoGen Info system documentation.

AUTHOR

       Bruce Korb
       Please send bug reports to:  autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net

       Released under the GNU General Public License.

       This   manual   page   was   AutoGen-erated  from  the  columns  option
       definitions.

(GNU AutoGen 1.2)                 2010-02-10