fspec(4)							   File Formats 							  fspec(4)

NAME

       fspec - format specification in text files

DESCRIPTION

       It  is  sometimes  convenient  to maintain text files on the system with non-standard tabs, (tabs that are not set at every eighth column).
       Such files must generally be converted to a standard format, frequently by replacing all tabs with the appropriate number of spaces, before
       they  can  be  processed by system commands. A format specification occurring in the first line of a text file specifies how tabs are to be
       expanded in the remainder of the file.

       A format specification consists of a sequence of parameters separated by blanks and surrounded by the brackets <: and  :>.  Each  parameter
       consists of a keyletter, possibly followed immediately by a value. The following parameters are recognized:

       ttabs	       The t parameter specifies the tab settings for the file. The value of tabs must be one of the following:

			 o  A list of column numbers separated by commas, indicating tabs set at the specified columns.

			 o  A '-' followed immediately by an integer n, indicating tabs at intervals of n columns.

			 o  A '-' followed by the name of a ``canned'' tab specification.

		       Standard  tabs  are  specified by t-8, or equivalently, t1,9,17,25, etc. The canned tabs that are recognized are defined by
		       the tabs(1) command.

       ssize	       The s parameter specifies a maximum line size. The value of size must be an integer. Size checking is performed after  tabs
		       have been expanded, but before the margin is prepended.

       mmargin	       The m parameter specifies a number of spaces to be prepended to each line. The value of margin must be an integer.

       d	       The  d  parameter takes no value. Its presence indicates that the line containing the format specification is to be deleted
		       from the converted file.

       e	       The e parameter takes no value. Its presence indicates that the current format is to  prevail  only  until  another  format
		       specification is encountered in the file.

       Default	values,  which	are  assumed for parameters not supplied, are t-8 and m0. If the s parameter is not specified, no size checking is
       performed. If the first line of a file does not contain a format specification, the above defaults are assumed for  the	entire	file.  The
       following is an example of a line containing a format specification:

	      * <:t5,10,15 s72:> *

       If a format specification can be disguised as a comment, it is not necessary to code the d parameter.

SEE ALSO

       ed(1), newform(1), tabs(1)

SunOS 5.10							    3 Jul 1990								  fspec(4)