FSPEC(4) DOMAIN/IX Reference Manual (SYS5) FSPEC(4)
NAME
fspec - format specification in text files
DESCRIPTION
It is sometimes convenient to maintain text files on the
DOMAIN/IX system with non-standard tabs, (i.e., tabs which
are not set at every eighth column). Such files must gen-
erally be converted to a standard format, frequently by
replacing all tabs with the appropriate number of spaces,
before they can be processed by DOMAIN/IX system commands.
A format specification in the first line of a text file
specifies how tabs are to be expanded in the remainder of
the file.
A format specification consists of a sequence of parameters
separated by blanks and surrounded by the brackets <: and
:>. Each parameter consists of a keyletter, possibly fol-
lowed immediately by a value. The following parameters are
recognized:
ttabs The t parameter specifies the tab settings for
the file. The value of tabs must be one of the
following:
1. a list of column numbers separated by com-
mas, indicating tabs set at the specified
columns;
2. a - followed immediately by an integer n,
indicating tabs at intervals of n columns;
3. a - followed by the name of a ``canned'' tab
specification.
Standard tabs are specified by t-8, or
equivalently, t1,9,17,25,etc. The canned tabs
which are recognized are defined by the tabs(1)
command.
ssize The s parameter specifies a maximum line size.
The value of size must be an integer. Size
checking is performed after tabs have been
expanded, but before the margin is prepended.
mmargin The m parameter specifies a number of spaces to
be prepended to each line. The value of margin
must be an integer.
d The d parameter takes no value. Its presence
indicates that the line containing the format
specification is to be deleted from the converted
file.
Printed 5/13/85 FSPEC-1
FSPEC(4) DOMAIN/IX Reference Manual (SYS5) FSPEC(4)
e The e parameter takes no value. Its presence
indicates that the current format is to prevail
only until another format specification is
encountered in the file.
Default values, which are assumed for parameters not sup-
plied, are t-8 and m0. If the s parameter is not specified,
no size checking is performed. If the first line of a file
does not contain a format specification, the above defaults
are assumed for the entire file. The following is an exam-
ple of a line containing a format specification:
* <:t5,10,15 s72:> *
If a format specification can be disguised as a comment, it
is not necessary to code the d parameter.
Several DOMAIN/IX system commands correctly interpret the
format specification for a file. Among them is gath (see
send(1)) which may be used to convert files to a standard
format acceptable to other DOMAIN/IX system commands.
RELATED INFORMATION
ed(1), newform(1), send(1), tabs(1)
FSPEC-2 Printed 5/13/85