EXPAND(1)                  OpenBSD Reference Manual                  EXPAND(1)

NAME
     expand, unexpand - expand tabs to spaces, and vice versa



SYNOPSIS
     expand [-tabstop] [-tab1, tab2, ...] [file ...]
     unexpand [-a] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION
     expand processes the named files or the standard input writing the stan-
     dard output with tabs changed into blanks.  Backspace characters are pre-
     served into the output and decrement the column count for tab calcula-
     tions.  expand is useful for pre-processing character files (before sort-
     ing, looking at specific columns, etc.) that contain tabs.

     If a single tabstop argument is given, tabs are set tabstop spaces apart
     instead of the default 8.  If multiple tabstops are given then the tabs
     are set at those specific columns.

     unexpand puts tabs back into the data from the standard input or the
     named files and writes the result on the standard output.

     Option (with unexpand only):

     -a    By default, only leading blanks and tabs are reconverted to maximal
           strings of tabs.  If the -a option is given, tabs are inserted
           whenever they would compress the resultant file by replacing two or
           more characters.

HISTORY
     The expand command appeared in 3.0BSD.

OpenBSD 2.6                      June 9, 1993                                1