


      TABS(1)                     (UNIX 5.0)                    TABS(1)



      NAME
           tabs - set tabs on a terminal

      SYNTAX
           tabs [ tabspec ] [ +mn ] [ -Ttype ]

      DESCRIPTION
           Tabs sets the tab stops on the user's terminal according to
           the tab specification tabspec, after clearing any previous
           settings.  The user must of course be logged in on a
           terminal with remotely-settable hardware tabs.

           Users of GE TermiNet terminals should be aware that they
           behave in a different way than most other terminals for some
           tab settings:  the first number in a list of tab settings
           becomes the left margin on a TermiNet terminal.  Thus, any
           list of tab numbers whose first element is other than 1
           causes a margin to be left on a TermiNet, but not on other
           terminals.  A tab list beginning with 1 causes the same
           effect regardless of terminal type.  It is possible to set a
           left margin on some other terminals, although in a different
           way (see below).

           Four types of tab specification are accepted for tabspec:
           ``canned,'' repetitive, arbitrary, and file.  If no tabspec
           is given, the default value is -8, i.e., ``standard'' tabs.
           The lowest column number is 1. Note that for tabs, column 1
           always refers to the leftmost column on a terminal, even one
           whose column markers begin at 0, e.g., the DASI 300, DASI
           300s, and DASI 450.

           -code   Gives the name of one of a set of ``canned'' tabs.
                   The legal codes and their meanings are as follows:
           -a      1,10,16,36,72
                   Assembler, IBM S/370, first format
           -a2     1,10,16,40,72
                   Assembler, IBM S/370, second format
           -c      1,8,12,16,20,55
                   COBOL, normal format
           -c2     1,6,10,14,49
                   COBOL compact format (columns 1-6 omitted).  Using
                   this code, the first typed character corresponds to
                   card column 7, one space gets you to column 8, and a
                   tab reaches column 12.  Files using this tab setup
                   should include a format specification as follows:
                        <:t-c2 m6 s66 d:>
           -c3     1,6,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38,42,46,50,54,58,62,67
                   COBOL compact format (columns 1-6 omitted), with
                   more tabs than -c2. This is the recommended format
                   for COBOL.  The appropriate format specification is:
                        <:t-c3 m6 s66 d:>
           -f      1,7,11,15,19,23



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      TABS(1)                     (UNIX 5.0)                    TABS(1)



                   FORTRAN
           -p      1,5,9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57,61
                   PL/I
           -s      1,10,55
                   SNOBOL
           -u      1,12,20,44
                   UNIVAC 1100 Assembler

           In addition to these ``canned'' formats, three other types
           exist:

           -n      A repetitive specification requests tabs at columns
                   1+n, 1+2*n, etc.  Note that such a setting leaves a
                   left margin of n columns on TermiNet terminals only.
                   Of particular importance is the value -8:  this
                   represents the ``standard'' tab setting, and is the
                   most likely tab setting to be found at a terminal.
                   It is required for use with the nroff -h option for
                   high-speed output.  Another special case is the
                   value -0, implying no tabs at all.
           n1,n2,...
                   The arbitrary format permits the user to type any
                   chosen set of numbers, separated by commas, in
                   ascending order.  Up to 40 numbers are allowed.  If
                   any number (except the first one) is preceded by a
                   plus sign, it is taken as an increment to be added
                   to the previous value.  Thus, the tab lists
                   1,10,20,30 and 1,10,+10,+10 are considered
                   identical.
           --file  If the name of a file is given, tabs reads the first
                   line of the file, searching for a format
                   specification.  If it finds one there, it sets the
                   tab stops according to it, otherwise it sets them as
                   -8.  This type of specification may be used to make
                   sure that a tabbed file is printed with correct tab
                   settings, and would be used with the pr(1) command:
                        tabs -- file; pr file

           Any of the following may be used also; if a given flag
           occurs more than once, the last value given takes effect:

           -Ttype  Tabs usually needs to know the type of terminal in
                   order to set tabs and always needs to know the type
                   to set margins.  Type is a name listed in term(5).
                   If no -T flag is supplied, tabs searches for the
                   $TERM value in the environment (see environ(5)).  If
                   no type can be found, tabs tries a sequence that
                   will work for many terminals.
           +mn     The margin argument may be used for some terminals.
                   It causes all tabs to be moved over n columns by
                   making column n+1 the left margin.  If +m is given
                   without a value of n, the value assumed is 10.  For



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      TABS(1)                     (UNIX 5.0)                    TABS(1)



                   a TermiNet, the first value in the tab list should
                   be 1, or the margin will move even further to the
                   right.  The normal (leftmost) margin on most
                   terminals is obtained by +m0.  The margin for most
                   terminals is reset only when the +m flag is given
                   explicitly.

           Tab and margin setting is performed via the standard output.

      DIAGNOSTICS
           illegal tabs        when arbitrary tabs are ordered
                               incorrectly.
           illegal increment   when a zero or missing increment is
                               found in an arbitrary specification.
           unknown tab code    when a ``canned'' code cannot be found.
           can't open          if --file option used, and file can't be
                               opened.
           file indirection    if --file option used and the
                               specification in that file points to yet
                               another file.  Indirection of this form
                               is not permitted.

      SEE ALSO
           nroff(1), environ(5), term(5).

      BUGS
           There is no consistency among different terminals regarding
           ways of clearing tabs and setting the left margin.
           It is generally impossible to usefully change the left
           margin without also setting tabs.
           Tabs clears only 20 tabs (on terminals requiring a long
           sequence), but is willing to set 40.























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