NAME

tbl − prepare tables for nroff or troff

SYNOPSIS

tbl [ −T X ] [ −− ] [ file(s) ] [ − ]

DESCRIPTION

tbl is a preprocessor that prepares tables for nroff(1) or troff(1).  tbl assumes that lines between the .TS and .TE command lines describe tables, thus they are re-formatted; lines outside these command lines are copied to the standard output.  (tbl does not alter the .TS and .TE command lines. 

Follow .TS with global options.  The available global options are:

center centers the table (default is left-adjust);

expand makes the table as wide as the current line length;

box encloses the table in a box;

doublebox encloses the table in a double box;

allbox encloses each item of the table in a box;

tab (x) uses the character x instead of a tab to separate items in a line of input data. 

linesize (n) sets line or rules (e.g., from box) in n-point type;

End the global options, if any, with a semi-colon (;). 

After global options come lines describing the format of each line of the table.  Each such format line describes one line of the table itself, except that the last format line (which you must end with a period) describes all remaining lines of the table.  A single key letter describes each column of each line of the table.  You may follow this key letter with specifiers that determine the font and point size of the corresponding item, that indicate where vertical bars are to appear between columns, and that determine column width, inter-column spacing, etc.  The available key-letters are:

c centers item within the column;

r right-adjusts item within the column;

l left-adjusts item within the column;

n numerically adjusts item in the column: units positions of numbers are aligned vertically;

s spans previous item on the left into this column;

a centers longest line in this column and then left-adjust all other lines in this column with respect to that centered line;

spans down previous entry in this column;

_ replaces this entry with a horizontal line;

= replaces this entry with a double horizontal line. 

The characters B and I stand for the bold and italic fonts, respectively; the character │ indicates a vertical line between columns. 

The format lines are followed by lines containing the actual data for the table, followed finally by .TE.  Within such data lines, data items are normally separated by tab characters. 

If a data line consists of only _ or =, a single or double line, respectively, is drawn across the table at that point; if a single item in a data line consists of only _ or =, then that item is replaced by a single or double line.  Some printers do not have the vertical resolution to produce double lines. 

Full details of all these and other features of tbl are given in the tutorial and technical discussion cited below. 

The −TX option forces tbl to use only full vertical line motions, making the output more suitable for devices that cannot generate partial vertical line motions (for example, line printers). 

If you give no file(s) as arguments, or if you specify − as file(s), tbl reads the standard input, so it may be used as a filter.  When you use it with neqn(1), put tbl first to minimize the volume of data passed through pipes. 

EXAMPLE

If we let \∗T represent a tab (which should be typed as a genuine tab), then the input:

.TS
center box ;
cB s s
cI │ cI s
│ 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
Bridgewater\∗T7897\∗T3.81
Far Hills\∗T240\∗T3.19
.TE

yields:

SEE ALSO

eqn(1), mm(1), mmt(1), mvt(1), neqn(1), nroff(1), troff(1), mm(5), and mv(5).  "The Preprocessor tbl" in the User’s Guide
The "tbl: Technical Dicussion."

BUGS

See BUGS under nroff(1). 

CX/UX DWB 2.0 Notes