Re: what is the use of -c parameter of column(1), can you demonstrate with an example?
On 11/02/2010 05:01 AM, Chris Jackson wrote:
> Zhang Weiwu wrote:
>
>> from man column(1)
>>
>> -c Output is formatted for a display columns wide.
>>
>> Try:
>>
>> almustafa@orphalese:~$ echo aaa bbb | column -c 20
>>
>>
>> expected result (17 spaces):
>>
>> aaa bbb
>>
>> actual result:
>>
>> almustafa@orphalese:~$ echo aaa bbb | column -c 20
>> aaa bbb
>>
>> Confusing. Or do I misunderstand the purpose of column(1)?
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>
> -c is for the total number of columns. Having said that, I can't get it
> to actually do anything, so I could be wrong.
The question is, "What is a column?"
In the case of -c, I think it's one character. As in a terminal window
of 80 columns and 24 lines.
For the column command, it looks like it's a "line" of input.
So, to use another poster's suggestion, but running in a terminal window
that has been widened to 155 columns x 25 lines:
ls -l | sed 1d | column
I got one "column", looking just like the ls -l would have, minus the
first line.
I tried -c 40, no difference. But a -c 250, I got two "columns", with
wrapping of the long lines. Each column was a list of complete lines
from from the ls:
-rw-r--r-- 1 ....... filename drw-r--r-- 2 ...... dirname
And so on.
>
> You could perhaps use awk:
>
> http://unstableme.blogspot.com/2008/12/awk-formatting-fields-into-columns.html
>
> (bit fugly) or, depending on exactly what you need, look at pr(1).
>
> --
> Chris Jackson
> Shadowcat Systems Ltd.
>
>
--
Bob McGowan
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