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expand(1)							     expand(1)

NAME
       expand,	unexpand  - Replaces tab characters with spaces or spaces with
       tab characters

SYNOPSIS
   Current syntax
       expand [-t tablist] [file...]

       unexpand [-a  | -t tablist] [file...]

   Obsolescent syntax
       expand [-tabstop	 | -tab1,tab2,...,tabn] [file...]

STANDARDS
       Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry	 stan‐
       dards as follows:

       expand:	XCU5.0

       unexpand:  XCU5.0

       Refer  to  the  standards(5)  reference page for more information about
       industry standards and associated tags.

OPTIONS
       Replaces spaces at the beginning of each line with a tab,  and  inserts
       tab characters wherever their presence compresses the resultant file by
       replacing two or more characters.  When the -t option is specified with
       the  unexpand  command,	the  -a	 option	 has  no effect.  (This option
       applies to the unexpand command only.)  Specifies the tab  stops.   The
       tablist	argument consists of a single positive decimal integer or mul‐
       tiple positive decimal integers, separated  by  spaces  or  commas,  in
       ascending  order. If a single number is specified, tabs are set tablist
       column positions apart instead of the default (8).  If multiple numbers
       are  specified,	tabs are set at those specific column positions.  Tab‐
       bing to tab stop position n thus causes the next character output to be
       in the (n+1)th column position on that line.

	      If  expand  has  to process a tab character at a position beyond
	      the last of those specified in a multiple tab stop list, the tab
	      character is replaced by a single space in the output.  Sets tab
	      stops tabstop spaces apart instead of the default	 (8).	(Obso‐
	      lescent) Sets tab stops at specified columns.  (Obsolescent)

	      [Tru64 UNIX]  Columns are measured in bytes.

OPERANDS
       The  path  name	of a file to be processed.  If you do not specify this
       operand, standard input is read.

DESCRIPTION
       The expand command changes tab characters to spaces in the named files,
       or the standard input, and writes the result to the standard output.

       The  unexpand  command puts tab characters into the data from the stan‐
       dard input, or the named files, and writes the result to	 the  standard
       output.

       Backspace characters are preserved in the output and decrement the col‐
       umn count for tab calculations. The column  position  count  cannot  be
       decremented  below  one. The expand command is useful for preprocessing
       character files (before sorting, looking at specific  columns,  and  so
       on.)  that contain tab characters.

       By  default, unexpand converts only spaces that are within sequences of
       spaces and tab characters at the beginnings of lines.  Use -a  to  con‐
       vert other sequences of spaces.

NOTES
       If  the	expand	command	 encounters difficulties opening any specified
       file, it writes an error message to standard error and terminates imme‐
       diately with an error status.

       If  the	unexpand command encounters difficulties opening any specified
       file, it writes an error message to standard error and continues opera‐
       tion.  The exit status will reflect the error.

EXIT STATUS
       The  following  exit  values are returned by either command: Successful
       completion.  An error occurred.

EXAMPLES
       To replace tab characters in file with spaces, enter:  expand  file  To
       replace the spaces in file with tab characters, enter: unexpand -a file

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
       The  following environment variables affect the execution of expand and
       unexpand: Provides a default value for the  internationalization	 vari‐
       ables that are unset or null. If LANG is unset or null, the correspond‐
       ing value from the default locale is used.  If any of the  internation‐
       alization  variables contain an invalid setting, the utility behaves as
       if none of the variables had been  defined.   If	 set  to  a  non-empty
       string  value,  overrides the values of all the other internationaliza‐
       tion variables.	 Determines  the  locale  for  the  interpretation  of
       sequences of bytes of text data as characters (for example, single-byte
       as opposed to  multibyte	 characters  in	 arguments).   Determines  the
       locale  for  the	 format and contents of diagnostic messages written to
       standard error.	Determines the location of message catalogues for  the
       processing of LC_MESSAGES.

SEE ALSO
       Commands:  fold(1), tabs(1)

       Standards:  standards(5)

								     expand(1)
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