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columns(1) User Commands columns(1) NAME columns - Columnize Input Text SYNOPSIS columns [-flags] [-flag [value]] [--option-name[[=| ]value]] All arguments must be options. DESCRIPTION There is no description for this command. OPTIONS Specify the output dimensions -W num, --width=num Maximum Line Width. This option takes an integer num- ber 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 be- ing: 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 in- teger 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. --tab-width=num tab width. This option takes an integer number as its ar- gument. 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. Specify how to lay out the text --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. Without this option, columns will attempt to widen columns to fill the full width. --fill Fill lines with input. This option must not appear in combination with any of the following options: spread, col_width, by_columns. 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, unless the output is sorted. With sorted output, blank lines are ignored. -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 combi- nation 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. If its length exceeds "indent", then it will be emit- ted on a line by itself, suffixed by any line separation string. For exam- ple: $ columns --first='#define TABLE' -c 2 -I4 --line=' ' <<_EOF_ one two three four _EOF_ #define TABLE one two three four -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 in- terpreted as an sprintf(3) format that is used to produce each output en- try. -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 en- try 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. --ending=end-str string at end of last line. This option puts the specified string at the end of the output. Specify the ordering of the entries --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. -s key-pat, --sort [key-pat] Sort input text. Causes the input text to be sorted. If an argument is supplied, it is pre- sumed 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. Redirecting stdin to an alternate file -i file, --input=file Input file (if not stdin). This program normally runs as a filter, reading from standard input, colum- nizing and writing to standard out. This option redirects input to a file. -?, --help Display usage information and exit. -!, --more-help Pass the extended usage information through a pager. -> [cfgfile], --save-opts [=cfgfile] Save the option state to cfgfile. The default is the last configuration file listed in the OPTION PRESETS sec- tion, below. The command will exit after updating the config file. -< cfgfile, --load-opts=cfgfile, --no-load-opts Load options from cfgfile. The no-load-opts form will disable the loading of earlier config/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. ENVIRONMENT See OPTION PRESETS for configuration environment variables. FILES See OPTION PRESETS for configuration files. EXIT STATUS One of the following exit values will be returned: 0 (EXIT_SUCCESS) Successful program execution. 1 (EXIT_FAILURE) The operation failed or the command syntax was not valid. 66 (EX_NOINPUT) A specified configuration file could not be loaded. 70 (EX_SOFTWARE) libopts had an internal operational error. Please report it to autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net. Thank you. SEE ALSO This program is documented more fully in the Columns sec- tion of the Add-On chapter in the AutoGen Info system doc- umentation. AUTHORS Bruce Korb COPYRIGHT Copyright (C) 1999-2017 Bruce Korb all rights reserved. This program is released under the terms of the GNU General Public Li- cense, version 3 or later. BUGS Please send bug reports to: autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net NOTES This manual page was AutoGen-erated from the columns option defi- nitions. GNU AutoGen (1.2) 30 Jul 2026 columns(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | OPTIONS | ENVIRONMENT | FILES | EXIT STATUS | AUTHORS | COPYRIGHT | BUGS | NOTES
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