text-utils/col.1

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  35 .\"     @(#)col.1       6.8 (Berkeley) 6/17/91
  36 .\"
  37 .TH COL "1" "July 2014" "util-linux" "User Commands"
  38 .SH NAME
  39 col \- filter reverse line feeds from input
  40 .SH SYNOPSIS
  41 .B col
  42 [options]
  43 .SH DESCRIPTION
  44 .B col
  45 filters out reverse (and half-reverse) line feeds so the output is in the
  46 correct order, with only forward and half-forward line feeds.  It also replaces
  47 any whitespace characters with tabs where possible.  This can be useful in
  48 processing the output of
  49 .BR nroff (1)
  50 and
  51 .BR tbl (1).
  52 .PP
  53 .B col
  54 reads from standard input and writes to standard output.
  55 .SH OPTIONS
  56 .TP
  57 \fB\-b\fR, \fB\-\-no\-backspaces\fR
  58 Do not output any backspaces, printing only the last character written to
  59 each column position.
  60 .TP
  61 \fB\-f\fR, \fB\-\-fine\fR
  62 Permit half-forward line feeds.
  63 Normally characters destined for a half-line boundary are printed on the
  64 following line.
  65 .TP
  66 \fB\-h\fR, \fB\-\-tabs\fR
  67 Output tabs instead of multiple spaces.
  68 .TP
  69 \fB\-l\fR, \fB\-\-lines\fR \fInumber\fR
  70 Buffer at least
  71 .I number
  72 lines in memory.  By default, 128 lines are buffered.
  73 .TP
  74 \fB\-p\fR, \fB\-\-pass\fR
  75 Force unknown control sequences to be passed through unchanged.  Normally
  76 .B col
  77 will filter out any control sequences other than those
  78 recognized and interpreted by itself, which are listed below.
  79 .TP
  80 \fB\-x\fR, \fB\-\-spaces\fR
  81 Output multiple spaces instead of tabs.
  82 .TP
  83 \fB\-V\fR, \fB\-\-version\fR
  84 Display version information and exit.
  85 .TP
  86 \fB\-H\fR, \fB\-\-help\fR
  87 Display help text and exit.
  88 .SH CONFORMING TO
  89 The
  90 .B col
  91 utility conforms to the Single UNIX Specification, Version 2.  The
  92 .B \-l
  93 option is an extension to the standard.
  94 .SH NOTES
  95 The control sequences for carriage motion that
  96 .B col
  97 understands and their decimal values are listed in the following table:
  98 .PP
  99 .RS
 100 .PD 0
 101 .TP 18
 102 .B ESC\-7
 103 reverse line feed (escape then 7)
 104 .TP
 105 .B ESC\-8
 106 half reverse line feed (escape then 8)
 107 .TP
 108 .B ESC\-9
 109 half forward line feed (escape then 9)
 110 .TP
 111 .B backspace
 112 moves back one column (8); ignored in the first column
 113 .TP
 114 .B newline
 115 forward line feed (10); also does carriage return
 116 .TP
 117 .B carriage return
 118 (13)
 119 .TP
 120 .B shift in
 121 shift to normal character set (15)
 122 .TP
 123 .B shift out
 124 shift to alternate character set (14)
 125 .TP
 126 .B space
 127 moves forward one column (32)
 128 .TP
 129 .B tab
 130 moves forward to next tab stop (9)
 131 .TP
 132 .B vertical tab
 133 reverse line feed (11)
 134 .PD
 135 .RE
 136 .PP
 137 All unrecognized control characters and escape sequences are discarded.
 138 .PP
 139 .B col
 140 keeps track of the character set as characters are read and makes sure the
 141 character set is correct when they are output.
 142 .PP
 143 If the input attempts to back up to the last flushed line,
 144 .B col
 145 will display a warning message.
 146 .SH HISTORY
 147 A
 148 .B col
 149 command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.
 150 .SH SEE ALSO
 151 .BR expand (1),
 152 .BR nroff (1),
 153 .BR tbl (1)
 154 .SH AVAILABILITY
 155 The col command is part of the util-linux package and is available from
 156 .UR https://\:www.kernel.org\:/pub\:/linux\:/utils\:/util-linux/
 157 Linux Kernel Archive
 158 .UE .