TBL(1)                               BSD                                TBL(1)



NAME
     tbl - format tables for nroff or troff

SYNOPSIS
     tbl [ files ] ...

DESCRIPTION
     tbl is a preprocessor that formats tables for nroff or troff(1).  The
     input files are copied to the standard output, except for lines between
     .TS and .TE command lines, which are assumed to describe tables and are
     reformatted.

     If you don't supply any arguments, tbl reads the standard input, so it
     may be used as a filter.  When tbl is used with eqn or neqn the tbl
     command should be first, to minimize the volume of data passed through
     pipes.  See UNIX Text Processing for more detailed information about tbl.

EXAMPLE
     As an example, letting \t represent a tab (which should be typed as a
     genuine tab) the input

     .TS
     c s s
     c c s
     c c c
     l n n.
     Household Population
     Town\tHouseholds
     \tNumber\tSize
     Bedminster\t789\t3.26
     Bernards Twp.\t3087\t3.74
     Bernardsville\t2018\t3.30
     Bound Brook\t3425\t3.04
     Branchburg\t1644\t3.49
     Bridgewater\t7897\t3.81
     Far Hills\t240\t3.19
     .TE


     yields the following table.

           Household Population
         Town           Households
                      Number    Size
     Bedminster         789      3.26
     Bernards Twp.     3087      3.74
     Bernardsville     2018      3.30
     Bound Brook       3425      3.04
     Branchburg        1644      3.49
     Bridgewater       7897      3.81
     Far Hills          240      3.19

SEE ALSO
     troff(1), eqn(1), col(1), colcrt(1);
     UNIX Text Processing;
     M. E. Lesk, TBL.