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
+ stty tab0
+ Like clear(1), tabs writes to the standard output. You
+ can redirect the standard output to a file (which prevents
+ tabs from actually changing the tabstops), and later cat
+ the file to the screen, setting tabstops at that point.
-
-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
+ 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
+ -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
+ 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
+ -n This option tells tabs to check the options and run
+ any debugging option, but not to modify the terminal
settings.
+ -V reports the version of ncurses which was used in this
+ program, and exits.
+
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.
- ImplicitLists
+
+
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
@@ -99,21 +105,25 @@
Use "-8" to set tabs to the standard interval.
- ExplicitLists
+
+
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
+ 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
+ tabs 1,+5,+5,+5,+5
+
which is equivalent to the 1,6,11,16,21 example.
- PredefinedTab-Stops
+
+
+ IEEE Std 1003.1/The Open Group Base Specifications Issue
+ 7 (POSIX.1-2008) describes a tabs utility. However
+
+ o This standard describes a +m option, to set a termi-
+ nal's left-margin. Very few of the entries in the
+ terminal database provide this capability.
+
+ o There is no counterpart in X/Open Curses Issue 7 for
+ this utility, unlike tput(1).
The -d (debug) and -n (no-op) options are extensions not
provided by other implementations.
@@ -152,20 +167,31 @@
be that long.
-