fmt(1)

NAME
fmt - format text

SYNOPSIS
fmt [-v] [-l length] [-t tabs] [--] [file ... ]

fmt formats text by filling lines to roughly the same length.

OPTIONS

-v  The -v option instructs fmt to print its version number and exit.

-l length
    The -l option sets the target length of output lines to length columns. The default is 70 columns.

-t tabs
    The -t option sets the number of spaces corresponding to each tab stop to tabs. The default is 8 spaces.

--  The -- (double dash) option indicates the end of options.

DESCRIPTION
fmt formats each file in turn, writing the result to the standard output. If no files are specified or a file is - (dash), fmt formats the standard input.

fmt adjusts horizontal white space and breaks and joins lines at horizontal white space in an attempt to create output lines that are as long as possible but no longer than length columns. fmt preserves leading horizontal white space, empty lines, and lines that consist only of horizontal white space, but compresses other horizontal white space to a single space character. fmt will not break words, so extremely long words in the input may give lines that are longer than length columns in the output.

fmt expects its input to be Unicode characters in utf(4) form.

EXAMPLES
File file1 contains: The Unicode Standard represents its characters in 16 bits; UTF-8 represents such values in an 8-bit byte stream. Throughout this manual, UTF-8 is shortened to UTF.

To reformat this to about 70 columns, enter: fmt file1 >file2

file2 will now contain: The Unicode Standard represents its characters in 16 bits; UTF-8 represents such values in an 8-bit byte stream. Throughout this manual, UTF-8 is shortened to UTF.

SEE ALSO
expand(1) unexpand(1) utf(4)

BUGS
None known.

SOURCES
http://pobox.com/~Alan.Watson/software.html

AUTHOR
Alan Watson (Alan.Watson@pobox.com).