


      TBL(1)			    (DWB)			 TBL(1)



      NAME
	   tbl - format	tables for nroff or troff

      SYNTAX
	   tbl [ -TX ] [ files ]

      DESCRIPTION
	   Tbl is a preprocessor that formats tables for nroff or
	   troff(1).  The input	files are copied to the	standard
	   output, except for lines between .TS	and .TE	command	lines,
	   which are assumed to	describe tables	and are	re-formatted by
	   tbl.	 (The .TS and .TE command lines	are not	altered	by
	   tbl).

	   .TS is followed by global options.  The available global
	   options are:

		center	  center the table (default is left-adjust);
		expand	  make the table as wide as the	current	line
			  length;
		box	  enclose the table in a box;
		doublebox enclose the table in a double	box;
		allbox	  enclose each item of the table in a box;
		tab (x)	  use the character x instead of a tab to
			  separate items in a line of input data.

	   The global options, if any, are terminated with a semi-colon
	   (;).

	   Next	come lines describing the format of each line of the
	   table. Each such format line	describes one line of the
	   actual table, except	that the last format line (which must
	   end with a period) describes	all remaining lines of the
	   table. Each column of each line of the table	is described by
	   a single key-letter,	optionally followed by specifiers that
	   determine the font and point	size of	the corresponding item,
	   that	indicate where vertical	bars are to appear between
	   columns, that determine column width, inter-column spacing,
	   etc.	The available key-letters are:

		c    center item within	the column;
		r    right-adjust item within the column;
		l    left-adjust item within the column;
		n    numerically adjust	item in	the column:  units
		     positions of numbers are aligned vertically;
		s    span previous item	on the left into this column;
		a    center longest line in this column	and then left-
		     adjust all	other lines in this column with	respect
		     to	that centered line;
		^    span down previous	entry in this column;
		_    replace this entry	with a horizontal line;
		=    replace this entry	with a double horizontal line.



      Page 1					      (73 A2 02MT REV1)






      TBL(1)			    (DWB)			 TBL(1)



	   The characters B and	I stand	for the	bold and italic	fonts,
	   respectively; the character | indicates a vertical line
	   between columns.

	   The format lines are	followed by lines containing the actual
	   data	for the	table, followed	finally	by .TE.	 Within	such
	   data	lines, data items are normally separated by tab
	   characters.

	   If a	data line consists of only _ or	=, a single or double
	   line, respectively, is drawn	across the table at that point;
	   if a	"single	item" in a data	line consists of only _	or =,
	   then	that item is replaced by a single or double line.

	   Full	details	of all these and other features	of tbl are
	   given in the	reference manual cited below.

	   The -TX option forces tbl to	use only full vertical line
	   motions, making the output more suitable for	devices	that
	   cannot generate partial vertical line motions (e.g.,	line
	   printers).

	   If no file names are	given as arguments (or if - is
	   specified as	the last argument), tbl	reads the standard
	   input, so it	may be used as a filter. When it is used with
	   eqn(1) or neqn, tbl should come first to minimize the volume
	   of data passed through pipes.

      EXAMPLE
	   If we let ->	represent a tab	(which should be typed as a
	   genuine tab), then the input:

		.TS
		center box ;
		cB s s
		cI | cI	s
		^ | c c
		l | n n	.
		Household Population
		_
		Town->Households
		->Number->Size
		=
		Bedminster->789->3.26
		Bernards Twp.->3087->3.74
		Bernardsville->2018->3.30
		Bound Brook->3425->3.04
		Bridgewater->7897->3.81
		Far Hills->240->3.19
		.TE

	   yields:



      Page 2					      (73 A2 02MT REV1)






      TBL(1)			    (DWB)			 TBL(1)



			 _______________________________
			 |______________________________|
			 |		|  Households	|
			 |    Town	| Number   Size	|
			 |______________|_______________|
			 |Bedminster	|   789	   3.26	|
			 |Bernards Twp.	|  3087	   3.74	|
			 |Bernardsville	|  2018	   3.30	|
			 |Bound	Brook	|  3425	   3.04	|
			 |Bridgewater	|  7897	   3.81	|
			 |______________|_______________|

      SEE ALSO
	   ocw(1), eqn(1), mm(1), mmt(1), nroff(1), troff(1), mm(5),
	   mv(5).

      BUGS
	   See BUGS under nroff(1).





































      Page 3					      (73 A2 02MT REV1)



