Text::Wrap(3) Perl Programmers Reference Guide Text::Wrap(3)NAMEText::Wrap - line wrapping to form simple paragraphs
SYNOPSIS
Example 1
use Text::Wrap
$initial_tab = "\t"; # Tab before first line
$subsequent_tab = ""; # All other lines flush left
print wrap($initial_tab, $subsequent_tab, @text);
print fill($initial_tab, $subsequent_tab, @text);
@lines = wrap($initial_tab, $subsequent_tab, @text);
@paragraphs = fill($initial_tab, $subsequent_tab, @text);
Example 2
use Text::Wrap qw(wrap $columns $huge);
$columns = 132; # Wrap at 132 characters
$huge = 'die';
$huge = 'wrap';
$huge = 'overflow';
Example 3
use Text::Wrap
$Text::Wrap::columns = 72;
print wrap('', '', @text);
DESCRIPTIONText::Wrap::wrap() is a very simple paragraph formatter.
It formats a single paragraph at a time by breaking lines
at word boundries. Indentation is controlled for the
first line ("$initial_tab") and all subsquent lines
("$subsequent_tab") independently. Please note: "$ini
tial_tab" and "$subsequent_tab" are the literal strings
that will be used: it is unlikley you would want to pass
in a number.
Lines are wrapped at "$Text::Wrap::columns" columns.
"$Text::Wrap::columns" should be set to the full width of
your output device. In fact, every resulting line will
have length of no more than "$columns - 1".
Beginner note: In example 2, above "$columns" is imported
into the local namespace, and set locally. In example 3,
"$Text::Wrap::columns" is set in its own namespace without
importing it.
When words that are longer than "$columns" are encoun
tered, they are broken up. "wrap()" adds a ""\n"" at col
umn "$columns". This behavior can be overridden by set
ting "$huge" to 'die' or to 'overflow'. When set to
'die', large words will cause "die()" to be called. When
set to 'overflow', large words will be left intact.
Text::Wrap::fill() is a simple multi-paragraph formatter.
It formats each paragraph separately and then joins them
together when it's done. It will destory any whitespace
in the original text. It breaks text into paragraphs by
looking for whitespace after a newline. In other respects
it acts like wrap().
When called in list context, "wrap()" will return a list
of lines and "fill()" will return a list of paragraphs.
Historical notes: Older versions of "wrap()" and "fill()"
always returned strings. Also, 'die' used to be the
default value of "$huge". Now, 'wrap' is the default
value.
EXAMPLE
print wrap("\t","","This is a bit of text that forms
a normal book-style paragraph");
AUTHOR
David Muir Sharnoff <muir@idiom.com> with help from Tim
Pierce and many many others.
2001-02-22 perl v5.6.1 Text::Wrap(3)
