FSPEC(4)                 DOMAIN/IX SYS5                  FSPEC(4)



NAME
     fspec - format specification in text files

DESCRIPTION
     It is sometimes convenient to maintain text files with non-
     standard tabs, (i.e., tabs that are not set at every eighth
     column).  Such files must generally be converted to a stan-
     dard format, frequently by replacing all tabs with the
     appropriate number of spaces, before they can be processed
     some 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 delimited by <: and :>.  Each param-
     eter consists of a keyletter, possibly followed 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 fol-
               lowing:

               1.   a list of column numbers separated by commas,
                    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 check-
               ing 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.

     e         The e parameter takes no value.  Its presence



Printed 12/4/86                                           FSPEC-1

FSPEC(4)                 DOMAIN/IX SYS5                  FSPEC(4)



               indicates that the current format is to prevail
               only until another format specification is encoun-
               tered 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.

RELATED INFORMATION
     ed(1), newform(1), tabs(1)



































FSPEC-2                                           Printed 12/4/86