fmt(1)      UNIX System V(Directory and File Management Utilities)       fmt(1)


NAME
      fmt - simple text formatters

SYNOPSIS
      fmt [ -cs ] [ -w width ] [ file  . . . ]

DESCRIPTION
      fmt is a simple text formatter that fills and joins lines to produce
      output lines of (up to) the number of characters specified in the -w
      width option.  The default width is 72.  fmt concatenates the inputfiles
      listed as arguments.  If none are given, fmt formats text from the
      standard input.

      Blank lines are preserved in the output, as is the spacing between words.
      fmt does not fill lines beginning with a ``.'' (dot), for compatibility
      with nroff(1).  Nor does it fill lines starting with ``From:''.

      Indentation is preserved in the output, and input lines with differing
      indentation are not joined (unless -c is used).

      fmt can also be used as an in-line text filter for vi(1); the vi command:

            !}fmt

      reformats the text between the cursor location and the end of the
      paragraph.

OPTIONS
      -c          Crown margin mode.  Preserve the indentation of the first two
                  lines within a paragraph, and align the left margin of each
                  subsequent line with that of the second line.  This is useful
                  for tagged paragraphs.

      -s          Split lines only.  Do not join short lines to form longer
                  ones.  This prevents sample lines of code, and other such
                  formatted text, from being unduly combined.

      -w width    Fill output lines to up to width columns.

SEE ALSO
      nroff(1), vi(1)

NOTES
      The -w width option is acceptable for BSD compatibility, but it may go
      away in future releases.









10/89                                                                    Page 1