(BSD System Compatibility)

tbl(1bsd)

tbl -- (BSD) format tables for nroff or troff

Synopsis

   /usr/ucb/tbl [-me] [-ms] [-TX] [file] . . .

Description

The tbl command is a preprocessor for formatting tables for nroff or troff. The input files are copied to the standard output, except that lines between .TS and .TE command lines are assumed to describe tables and are reformatted.

If no arguments are given, tbl reads the standard input, so tbl may be used as a filter. When tbl is used with eqn or neqn the tbl command should be first, to minimize the volume of data passed through pipes.

-me: This option copies the -me macro package to the front of the output file.
-ms: This option copies the -ms macro package to the front of the output file.
-TX: This option produces output that does not have fractional line motions in it.

Options

The following options must be placed immediately after the .TS line. Each option must be separated by a space, tab or comma and must end with a semicolon.

center: centers the table (default is left-justified)
expand: makes the table as wide as current line length
box: encloses the table in a box
allbox: encloses each data entry of the table in a box
tab(x): separates data entries by using x instead of tab

Format

The format section of the table specifies the layout of the columns. Each line in the format section corresponds to one line of table data except the last line, which corresponds to all succeeding data lines. Each line contains a key-letter for each column of the table. A dot (.) indicates the end of key letters.

l: specifies a left-justified column entry
r: specifies a right-justified column entry
c: specifies a centered column entry
n: specifies a numerical column entry
s: specifies a spanned heading
w(n): w following a key-letter specifies a column width

References

eqn(1bsd), nroff(1bsd), troff(1bsd)

Examples

Data entries are usually separated by tabs, but in the following examples, a colon (:) is used as the tab character.

Input

   .TS
   tab(:);
   c s s
   c c s
   c c c
   l n n.
   Household Population
   Town:Households
   :Number:Size
   Bedminster:789:3.26
   Bernards Twp.:3087:3.74
   Bernardsville:2018:3.30
   .TE

Output

     Household Population
     Town         Households
                 Number   Size
 Bedminster         789   3.26
 Bernards Twp.     3087   3.74
 Bernardsville     2018   3.30

To include a block of text as a data entry, precede it by T{ and follow it by T} as in the following example:

Input

   .TS
   allbox tab(:);
   c s s
   c c c
   l lw(1.5i) lw(1.5i).
   New York Area Rocks
   Era:Formation:Age (years)
   Mesozoic:T{
   Newark Basin, including
   Stockton, Lockatong, and
   Brunswick formations; also
   Watchungs and Palisades
   T}:200 million
   Cenozoic:Coastal Plain:T{
   On Long Island 30,000 years;
   Cretaceous sediments redeposited
   by recent glaciation
   T}
   .TE

Output

 +---------------------------------------------+
 |            New York Area Rocks              |
 +---------+-----------------+-----------------+
 |  Era    |    Formation    |   Age (years)   |
 +---------+-----------------+-----------------+
 |Mesozoic | Newark Basin,   | 200 million     |
 |         | including       |                 |
 |         | Stockton,       |                 |
 |         | Lockatong, and  |                 |
 |         | Brunswick       |                 |
 |         | formations;     |                 |
 |         | also Watchungs  |                 |
 |         | and Palisades   |                 |
 +---------+-----------------+-----------------+
 |Cenozoic | Coastal Plain   | On Long Island  |
 |         |                 | 30,000 years;   |
 |         |                 | Cretaceous      |
 |         |                 | sediments       |
 |         |                 | redeposited by  |
 |         |                 | recent          |
 |         |                 | glaciation      |
 +---------+-----------------+-----------------+