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expand(1)
NAME
  expand, unexpand - Replaces tab characters with spaces or spaces with tab
  characters

SYNOPSIS
  Current syntax

  expand [-t tablist] [file...]

  unexpand [-a	| -t tablist] [file...]

  Obsolescent syntax

  expand [-tabstop  | -tab1,tab2,...,tabn] [file...]

STANDARDS
  Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry standards
  as follows:

  expand:  XCU5.0

  unexpand:  XCU5.0

  Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about
  industry standards and associated tags.

OPTIONS
  -a  Replaces spaces at the beginning of each line with a tab, and inserts
      tab characters wherever their presence compresses the resultant file by
      replacing two or more characters.	 When the -t option is specified with
      the unexpand command, the -a option has no effect.  (This option
      applies to the unexpand command only.)

  -t tablist
      Specifies the tab stops.	The tablist argument consists of a single
      positive decimal integer or multiple positive decimal integers,
      separated by spaces or commas, in ascending order. If a single number
      is specified, tabs are set tablist column positions apart instead of
      the default (8).	If multiple numbers are specified, tabs are set at
      those specific column positions.	Tabbing to tab stop position n thus
      causes the next character output to be in the (n+1)th column position
      on that line.

      If expand has to process a tab character at a position beyond the last
      of those specified in a multiple tab stop list, the tab character is
      replaced by a single space in the output.

  -tabstop
      Sets tab stops tabstop spaces apart instead of the default (8).
      (Obsolescent)

  -tab1, tab2, ..., tabn
      Sets tab stops at specified columns.  (Obsolescent)

      [Tru64 UNIX]  Columns are measured in bytes.

OPERANDS
  file
      The path name of a file to be processed.	If you do not specify this
      operand, standard input is read.

DESCRIPTION
  The expand command changes tab characters to spaces in the named files, or
  the standard input, and writes the result to the standard output.

  The unexpand command puts tab characters into the data from the standard
  input, or the named files, and writes the result to the standard output.

  Backspace characters are preserved in the output and decrement the column
  count for tab calculations. The column position count cannot be decremented
  below one. The expand command is useful for preprocessing character files
  (before sorting, looking at specific columns, and so on.) that contain tab
  characters.

  By default, unexpand converts only spaces that are within sequences of
  spaces and tab characters at the beginnings of lines.	 Use -a to convert
  other sequences of spaces.

NOTES
  If the expand command encounters difficulties opening any specified file,
  it writes an error message to standard error and terminates immediately
  with an error status.

  If the unexpand command encounters difficulties opening any specified file,
  it writes an error message to standard error and continues operation.	 The
  exit status will reflect the error.

EXIT STATUS
  The following exit values are returned by either command:

  0   Successful completion.

  >0  An error occurred.

EXAMPLES
   1.  To replace tab characters in file with spaces, enter:
	    expand file

   2.  To replace the spaces in file with tab characters, enter:
	    unexpand -a file

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
  The following environment variables affect the execution of expand and
  unexpand:

  LANG
      Provides a default value for the internationalization variables that
      are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the corresponding value
      from the default locale is used.	If any of the internationalization
      variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of
      the variables had been defined.

  LC_ALL
      If set to a non-empty string value, overrides the values of all the
      other internationalization variables.

  LC_CTYPE
      Determines the locale for the interpretation of sequences of bytes of
      text data as characters (for example, single-byte as opposed to
      multibyte characters in arguments).

  LC_MESSAGES
      Determines the locale for the format and contents of diagnostic
      messages written to standard error.

  NLSPATH
      Determines the location of message catalogues for the processing of
      LC_MESSAGES.

SEE ALSO
  Commands:  fold(1), tabs(1)

  Standards:  standards(5)

Index for Section 1

Alphabetical listing for E

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