SYNOPSIS

       newform [-s] [-itabspec] [-otabspec] [-bn] [-en] [-pn] [-an] [-f]
              [-cchar] [-ln] [filename]...

DESCRIPTION

       newform reads lines from the named filenames, or the standard input  if
       no  input  file is named, and reproduces the lines on the standard out-
       put.  Lines are reformatted in accordance with command line options  in
       effect.

       Except for -s, command line options may appear in any order, may be re-
       peated, and may be intermingled with the optional  filenames.   Command
       line options are processed in the order specified.  This means that op-
       tion sequences like ``-e15 -l60'' will  yield  results  different  from
       ``-l60  -e15''.   Options  are  applied to all filenames on the command
       line.

       The following options are supported:

       -s        Shears off leading characters on each line up  to  the  first
                 tab  and  places up to 8 of the sheared characters at the end
                 of the line.  If more than 8  characters  (not  counting  the
                 first tab) are sheared, the eighth character is replaced by a
                 * and any characters to the right of it are  discarded.   The
                 first tab is always discarded.

                 An  error  message and program exit will occur if this option
                 is used on a file without a tab on each line.  The characters
                 sheared  off  are  saved  internally  until all other options
                 specified are applied to that line.  The characters are  then
                 added at the end of the processed line.

                 For  example,  to  convert a file with leading digits, one or
                 more tabs, and text on each line, to a  file  beginning  with
                 the text, all tabs after the first expanded to spaces, padded
                 with spaces out to column 72 (or truncated to column 72), and
                 the  leading digits placed starting at column 73, the command
                 would be:
                     newform -s -i -l -a -e filename

       -itabspec Input tab specification: expands tabs to spaces, according to
                 the  tab  specifications  given.   Tabspec recognizes all tab
                 specification forms described in tabs(1).  In addition,  tab-
                 spec may be -, in which newform assumes that the tab specifi-
                 cation is to be found in the first line read from  the  stan-
                 dard  input  (see fspec(5)).  If no tabspec is given, tabspec
                 defaults to -8.  A tabspec of -0 expects no tabs; if any  are
                 found, they are treated as -1.

       -otabspec Output  tab specification: replaces spaces by tabs, according
                 to the tab specifications given.  The tab specifications  are
                 the  same  as for -itabspec.  If no tabspec is given, tabspec

       -pn       Prefix n characters (see -cchar) to the beginning of  a  line
                 when  the line length is less than the effective line length.
                 Default is to prefix the number of  characters  necessary  to
                 obtain the effective line length.

       -an       Same  as  -pn  except characters are appended to the end of a
                 line.

       -f        Write the tab specification format line on the standard  out-
                 put before any other lines are output.  The tab specification
                 format line which is printed will correspond  to  the  format
                 specified  in  the last -o option.  If no -o option is speci-
                 fied, the line which is  printed  will  contain  the  default
                 specification of -8.

       -cchar    Change  the prefix/append character to char.  Default charac-
                 ter for char is a space.

       -ln       Set the effective line length to n characters.  If n  is  not
                 entered,  -l defaults to 72.  The default line length without
                 the -l option is 80 characters.  Note:  Tabs  and  backspaces
                 are  considered to be one character (use -i to expand tabs to
                 spaces).

                 The -l1 must be used to set the effective line length shorter
                 than  any  existing line in the file so that the -b option is
                 activated.

DIAGNOSTICS

       All diagnostics are fatal.
       usage:  ...                  newform was called with a bad option.
       "not -s format"              There was no tab on one line.
       "can't open file"            Self-explanatory.
       "tabspec in error"           A tab specification is incorrectly format-
                                    ted,  or  specified  tab stops are not as-
                                    cending.
       "tabspec indirection illegal"
                                    A tabspec read from a  file  (or  standard
                                    input) may not contain a tabspec referenc-
                                    ing another file (or standard input).

SEE ALSO

       csplit(1), tabs(1), fspec(5)

NOTES

       newform normally only keeps track of physical characters; however,  for
       the  -i  and -o options, newform will keep track of backspaces in order
       to line up tabs in the appropriate logical columns.

       newform will not prompt the user if a tabspec is to be  read  from  the
       standard input (by use of -i- or -o-).