SYNOPSIS

       expand [-t tablist | -tablist] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION

       The expand utility converts all tabulators found in its input files (or
       in standard input if no file argument is present) to spaces and  writes
       the result to standard output.  The input is ordered in columns accord-
       ing to the width of characters; a backspace character causes the column
       to  be  decremented.   By default, a tabulator stop is assumed at every
       eight positions.

       The following options alter the behavior of expand:

       -t tablist
              Specify the positions of tabulator stops.  If tablist is a  sin-
              gle  number,  a tabulator stop is assumed at every tablist posi-
              tions.  If tablist is a list of numbers  in  strictly  ascending
              order separated by commas or blanks, a tabulator stop is assumed
              at each numbered position.  For column positions beyond the last
              tabulator  stop, each tabulator character is converted to a sin-
              gle space character.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       LANG, LC_ALL
              See locale(7).

       LC_CTYPE
              Specifies the mapping of bytes to characters and  the  width  of
              characters.

SEE ALSO

       tabs(1), unexpand(1)



Heirloom Toolchest                  5/5/03                           EXPAND(1)