2.11BSD#431 - /usr/man/cat1/unexpand.0

EXPAND(1)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		EXPAND(1)


NAME
     expand, unexpand - expand tabs to spaces, and vice versa

SYNOPSIS
     expand [ -tabstop ] [ -tab1,tab2,...,tabn ] [ file ...  ]
     unexpand [ -a ] [ file ...  ]

DESCRIPTION
     Expand processes the named files or the standard input writ-
     ing the standard output with tabs changed into blanks.
     Backspace characters are preserved into the output and
     decrement the column count for tab calculations.  Expand is
     useful for pre-processing character files (before sorting,
     looking at specific columns, etc.) that contain tabs.

     If a single tabstop argument is given, then tabs are set
     tabstop spaces apart instead of the default 8.  If multiple
     tabstops are given then the tabs are set at those specific
     columns.

     Unexpand puts tabs back into the data from the standard
     input or the named files and writes the result on the stan-
     dard output.  By default, only leading blanks and tabs are
     reconverted to maximal strings of tabs.  If the -a option is
     given, then tabs are inserted whenever they would compress
     the resultant file by replacing two or more characters.


Printed 11/26/99	   May 9, 1986				1