tabs 1

tabs(1)                                                         tabs(1)

NAME

       tabs - set tabs on a terminal

SYNOPSIS

       tabs [-v[n]] [-ahuUV] file...

DESCRIPTION

       The  tabs  program clears and sets tab-stops on the termi-
       nal.  This uses the terminfo  clear_all_tabs  and  set_tab
       capabilities.   If  either  is  absent,  tabs is unable to
       clear/set tab-stops.  The terminal should be configured to
       use hard tabs, e.g.,

              stty tab0

OPTIONS

   General Options
       -Tname
            Tell tabs which terminal type to use.  If this option
            is not given, tabs will  use  the  $TERM  environment
            variable.   If  that  is  not  set,  it  will use the
            ansi+tabs entry.

       -d   The debugging option shows a ruler line, followed  by
            two  data  lines.   The  first  data  line  shows the
            expected tab-stops marked with asterisks.  The second
            data  line  shows  the  actual tab-stops, marked with
            asterisks.

       -n   This option tells tabs to check the options  and  run
            any  debugging option, but not to modify the terminal
            settings.

       The tabs program processes a single  list  of  tab  stops.
       The  last  option  to be processed which defines a list is
       the one that determines the list to be processed.

   Implicit Lists
       Use a single number as an option, e.g., "-5" to  set  tabs
       at  the  given  interval  (in  this case 1, 6, 11, 16, 21,
       etc.).  Tabs are repeated up to the right  margin  of  the
       screen.

       Use "-0" to clear all tabs.

       Use "-8" to set tabs to the standard interval.

   Explicit Lists
       An  explicit  list  can be defined after the options (this
       does not use a "-").  The values in the list  must  be  in
       increasing numeric order, and greater than zero.  They are
       separated by a comma or a blank, for example,

              tabs 1,6,11,16,21
              tabs 1 6 11 16 21
       Use a '+' to treat a number as an  increment  relative  to
       the previous value, e.g.,

              tabs 1,+5,+5,+5,+5
       which is equivalent to the 1,6,11,16,21 example.

   Predefined Tab-Stops
       X/Open defines several predefined lists of tab stops.

       -a   Assembler, IBM S/370, first format

       -a2  Assembler, IBM S/370, second format

       -c   COBOL, normal format

       -c2  COBOL compact format

       -c3  COBOL compact format extended

       -f   FORTRAN

       -p   PL/I

       -s   SNOBOL

       -u   UNIVAC 1100 Assembler

PORTABILITY

       X/Open  describes  a  +m option, to set a terminal's left-
       margin.  Very few of the entries in the terminal  database
       provide this capability.

       The  -d  (debug) and -n (no-op) options are extensions not
       provided by other implementations.

       Documentation for other implementations states that  there
       is  a limit on the number of tab stops.  While some termi-
       nals may not accept an arbitrary number of tab stops, this
       implementation  will  attempt  to  set tab stops up to the
       right margin of the screen, if the given list  happens  to
       be that long.

SEE ALSO

       tset(1), infocmp(1m), curses(3x), terminfo(5).

       This describes ncurses version 5.9 (patch 20110404).



                                                                tabs(1)