* sale, use or other dealings in this Software without prior written *
* authorization. *
****************************************************************************
- * @Id: tabs.1,v 1.50 2023/11/25 14:32:36 tom Exp @
+ * @Id: tabs.1,v 1.51 2023/12/17 00:13:57 tom Exp @
+ * https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=PWB1/sys/source/s2/\
+ * tabs.c
+ * https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=V7/usr/src/cmd/tabs.c
+ * https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=3BSD/usr/src/cmd/\
+ * tabs.c
+ * https://minnie.tuhs.org/cgi-bin/utree.pl?file=SysVR4/cmd/tabs/tabs.c
+ * https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009604499/utilities/tabs.html
-->
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-<TITLE>tabs 1 2023-11-25 ncurses 6.4 User commands</TITLE>
+<TITLE>tabs 1 2023-12-16 ncurses 6.4 User commands</TITLE>
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-<H1 class="no-header">tabs 1 2023-11-25 ncurses 6.4 User commands</H1>
+<H1 class="no-header">tabs 1 2023-12-16 ncurses 6.4 User commands</H1>
<PRE>
<STRONG><A HREF="tabs.1.html">tabs(1)</A></STRONG> User commands <STRONG><A HREF="tabs.1.html">tabs(1)</A></STRONG>
<STRONG>-n</STRONG> This option tells <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> to check the options and run any debugging
option, but not to modify the terminal settings.
- <STRONG>-V</STRONG> reports the version of ncurses which was used in this program, and
+ <STRONG>-V</STRONG> reports the version of <EM>ncurses</EM> which was used in this program, and
exits.
The <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> program processes a single list of tab stops. The last option
The <STRONG>-d</STRONG> (debug) and <STRONG>-n</STRONG> (no-op) options are extensions not provided by
other implementations.
- A <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility appeared in PWB/Unix 1.0 (1977). There was a reduced
- version of the <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility in Unix 7th edition and in 3BSD (1979).
- The latter supported a single "-n" option (to cause the first tab stop
- to be set on the left margin). That option is not documented by POSIX.
- The PWB/Unix <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility, which was included in System III (1980),
- used built-in tables rather than the terminal database, to support a
- half-dozen hardcopy terminal (printer) types. It also had built-in
- logic to support the left-margin, as well as a feature for copying the
+</PRE><H2><a name="h2-HISTORY">HISTORY</a></H2><PRE>
+ A <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility appeared in PWB/Unix 1.0 (1977). A reduced version
+ shipped in Seventh Edition Unix (early 1979) and in 3BSD (later the
+ same year); it supported a "-n" option to set the first tab stop at the
+ left margin. That option is not documented by POSIX.
+
+ The PWB/Unix <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility returned in System III (1980), and used
+ built-in tables rather than the terminal database, to support a half-
+ dozen hardcopy terminal (printer) types. It also had built-in logic to
+ support setting the left margin, as well as a feature for copying the
tab settings from a file.
- Later versions of Unix, e.g., SVr4, added support for the terminal
- database, but kept the tables to support the printers. In an earlier
- development effort, the tab-stop initialization provided by <STRONG>tset</STRONG> (1982)
- and incorporated into <STRONG>tput</STRONG> uses the terminal database,
-
- The <STRONG>+m</STRONG> option was documented in the Base Specifications Issue 5
- (Unix98, 1997), and omitted in Issue 6 (Unix03, 2004) without
- documenting the rationale, though an introductory comment <EM>"and</EM>
- <EM>optionally</EM> <EM>adjusts</EM> <EM>the</EM> <EM>margin"</EM> remains, overlooked in the removal. The
- documented <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility in Issues 6 and later has no mechanism for
- setting margins. The <STRONG>+m</STRONG> option in this implementation differs from the
- feature in SVr4 by using terminal capabilities rather than built-in
- tables.
-
- POSIX documents no limits on the number of tab stops. Documentation
- for other implementations states that there is a limit on the number of
- tab stops (e.g., 20 in PWB/Unix's <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility). While some terminals
- 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.
-
- The <EM>Rationale</EM> section of the POSIX documentation goes into some detail
- about the ways the committee considered redesigning the <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> and <STRONG>tput</STRONG>
- utilities, without proposing an improved solution. It comments that
-
- no known historical version of tabs supports the capability of
+ Versions of the program in later releases of AT&T Unix, such as SVr4,
+ added support for the terminal database, but retained the tables to
+ support the printers. In an earlier development effort, the tab stop
+ initialization provided by <STRONG><A HREF="tset.1.html">tset(1)</A></STRONG> (1982), and incorporated into
+ <STRONG><A HREF="tput.1.html">tput(1)</A></STRONG> uses the terminal database,
+
+ The <STRONG>+m</STRONG> option was documented in the POSIX Base Specifications Issue 5
+ (Unix98, 1997), then omitted in Issue 6 (Unix03, 2004) without express
+ motivation, though an introductory comment <EM>"and</EM> <EM>optionally</EM> <EM>adjusts</EM> <EM>the</EM>
+ <EM>margin"</EM> remains, overlooked in the removal. The <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility
+ documented in Issues 6 and later has no mechanism for setting margins.
+ The <STRONG>+m</STRONG> option in <EM>ncurses</EM> <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> differs from the SVr4 feature by using
+ terminal capabilities rather than built-in tables.
+
+ POSIX documents no limit on the number of tab stops. Other
+ implementations impose one; the limit is 20 in PWB/Unix's <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> utility.
+ While some terminals may not accept an arbitrary number of tab stops,
+ <EM>ncurses</EM> <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> attempts to set tab stops up to the right margin if the
+ list thereof is sufficiently long.
+
+ The "Rationale" section of the Issue 6 <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> reference page details how
+ the committee considered redesigning the <STRONG>tabs</STRONG> and <STRONG>tput</STRONG> utilities,
+ without settling on an improved solution. It claims that
+
+ no known historical version of tabs supports the capability of
setting arbitrary tab stops.
- However, the <EM>Explicit</EM> <EM>Lists</EM> described in this manual page were
- implemented in PWB/Unix. Those provide the capability of setting
- abitrary tab stops.
+ Nevertheless, the feature described in subsection "Explicit Lists"
+ above was implemented in PWB/Unix, and permits the setting of abitrary
+ tab stops.
</PRE><H2><a name="h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></H2><PRE>
-ncurses 6.4 2023-1
1-25 <STRONG><A HREF="tabs.1.html">tabs(1)</A></STRONG>
+ncurses 6.4 2023-1
2-16 <STRONG><A HREF="tabs.1.html">tabs(1)</A></STRONG>
</PRE>
<div class="nav">
<ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#h2-FILES">FILES</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-PORTABILITY">PORTABILITY</a></li>
+<li><a href="#h2-HISTORY">HISTORY</a></li>
<li><a href="#h2-SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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