FSPEC(4)             INTERACTIVE UNIX System             FSPEC(4)



          NAME
               fspec - format specification in text files

          DESCRIPTION
               It is sometimes convenient to maintain text files on the
               UNIX system with non-standard tabs, (i.e., tabs which are
               not set at every eighth column).  Such files must generally
               be converted to a standard format, frequently by replacing
               all tabs with the appropriate number of spaces, before they
               can be processed by UNIX system commands.  A format specifi-
               cation occurring 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.

                 e        The e parameter takes no value.  Its presence


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          FSPEC(4)             INTERACTIVE UNIX System             FSPEC(4)



                          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.

          SEE ALSO
               ed(1), newform(1), tabs(1) in the INTERACTIVE UNIX System
               User's/System Administrator's Reference Manual.




































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