NAME
fspec — format specification in text files
DESCRIPTION
It is sometimes convenient to
maintain text files on the
HP-UX
system with non-standard tabs,
(meaning tabs that are not set at every eighth column).
Generally, such files must be converted to a standard format
- frequently by replacing all tabs
with the appropriate number of spaces -
before they can be processed by
HP-UX
system commands.
A format specification 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 followed immediately by a value.
The following parameters are recognized:
- ttabs
The
t
parameter specifies tab settings for the file.
The value of
tabs
must be one of the following:
- 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.
Recognized canned tabs are defined by the
tabs
command (see
tabs(1)).
- 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 inserted at the beginning of the line.
- mmargin
The
m
parameter specifies a number of spaces to be
inserted at the beginning of 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 indicates that the current format is to prevail
only until another format specification is encountered in the file.
Default values (assumed for parameters not supplied) 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 example of a line containing a format specification:
If a format specification can be disguised as a comment,
it is not necessary to code the
d
parameter.
Several
HP-UX
system commands correctly interpret the format specification for a file.
Among them is
ed,
which can be used to convert files
to a standard format acceptable to other
HP-UX
system commands.
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