TBL(1)TBL(1)NAMEtbl - format tables for troff
SYNOPSIStbl [ -Cv ] [ files... ]
DESCRIPTION
This manual page describes the GNU version of tbl, which is part of the
groff document formatting system. tbl compiles descriptions of tables
embedded within troff input files into commands that are understood by
troff. Normally, it should be invoked using the -t option of groff.
It is highly compatible with Unix tbl. The output generated by GNU tbl
cannot be processed with Unix troff; it must be processed with GNU
troff. If no files are given on the command line, the standard input
will be read. A filename of - will cause the standard input to be
read.
OPTIONS-C Recognize .TS and .TE even when followed by a character other
than space or newline.
-v Print the version number.
USAGE
Only the differences between GNU tbl and Unix tbl are described here.
Normally tbl attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the table by
using diversions. This can sometimes interact badly with macro pack‐
ages' own use of diversions, when footnotes, for example, are used.
The nokeep option tells tbl not to try and prevent breaks in this way.
The decimalpoint option specifies the character to be recognized as the
decimal point character in place of the default period. It takes an
argument in parentheses, which must be a single character, as for the
tab option.
The f format modifier can be followed by an arbitrary length font name
in parentheses.
There is a d format modifier which means that a vertically spanning
entry should be aligned at the bottom of its range.
There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor any limit on
the number of text blocks. All the lines of a table are considered in
deciding column widths, not just the first 200. Table continuation
(.T&) lines are not restricted to the first 200 lines.
Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the same column.
Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.
tbl uses register, string, macro and diversion names beginning with 3.
When using tbl you should avoid using any names beginning with a 3.
BUGS
You should use .TS H/.TH in conjunction with a supporting macro package
for all multi-page boxed tables. If there is no header that you wish
to appear at the top of each page of the table, place the .TH line
immediately after the format section. Do not enclose a multi-page ta‐
ble within keep/release macros, or divert it in any other way.
A text block within a table must be able to fit on one page.
The bp request cannot be used to force a page-break in a multi-page ta‐
ble. Instead, define BP as follows
.de BP
.ie '\\n(.z'' .bp \\$1
.el \!.BP \\$1
..
and use BP instead of bp.
Using \a directly in a table to get leaders will not work. This is
correct behaviour: \a is a uninterpreted leader. To get leaders use a
real leader, either by using a control A or like this:
.ds a \a
.TS
tab(;);
lw(1i) l.
A\*a;B
.TE
SEE ALSOgroff(1), troff(1)Groff Version 1.17.2 27 June 2001 TBL(1)