tabs(1)

NAME

   tabs - set tabs on a terminal

SYNOPSIS

   tabs [options]] [tabstop-list]

DESCRIPTION

   The  tabs program clears and sets tab-stops on the terminal.  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.

   -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.

   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

   IEEE   Std   1003.1/The   Open   Group   Base  Specifications  Issue  7
   (POSIX.1-2008) describes a tabs utility.  However

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

   *   There is no counterpart in X/Open Curses Issue 7 for this  utility,
       unlike tput(3X).

   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  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.

SEE ALSO

   tset(1), infocmp(1), ncurses(3NCURSES), terminfo(5).

   This describes ncurses version 6.0 (patch 20160625).

                                                                   tabs(1)

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