[](https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn/actions) [](https://metacpan.org/release/App-ansicolumn)
# NAME
ansicolumn - ANSI terminal sequence aware column command
# SYNOPSIS
ansicolumn \[options\] \[file ...\]
-w#, -c# output width
-s# separator string
-l# maximum number of table columns
-x exchange rows and columns
-o# output separator
-P[#], --page=# page mode, with optional page length
-U[#], --up=# show in N-up format (-WC# --linestyle=wrap)
--2up .. --9up same as -U2 .. -U9
-D, --document document mode
-V, --parallel parallel view mode
-H, --filename print filename header in parallel view mode
-X#, --cell=# set text width for files in parallel view mode
-C#, --pane=# number of panes
-S#, --pane-width=# pane width
-W, --widen widen to terminal width
-p, --paragraph paragraph mode
-r, --regex-sep treat separator string as regex
-B, --border[=#] print border with optional style
-F, --fillup[=#] fill-up unit (pane|page|none)
--height=# page height
--column-unit=# column unit (default 8)
--margin=# column margin width (default 1)
--linestyle=# folding style (none|truncate|wrap|wordwrap)
--boundary=# line-end boundary
--linebreak=# line-break mode (none|all|runin|runout)
--runin=# run-in width
--runout=# run-out width
--runlen=# set both run-in and run-out width
--[no-]pagebreak allow page break
--border-style=# border style
--[no-]ignore-space ignore space in table output
--[no-]white-space allow white spaces at the top of each pane
--[no-]isolation page-end line isolation
--tabstop=# set tab width
--tabhead=# tab-head character
--tabspace=# tab-space character
--tabstyle=# tab style
--ambiguous=# ambiguous character width (narrow|wide)
--pages split file by formfeed
Table style options:
-t, --table table style output
-A, --table-align align table output to column unit
-T, --table-tabs align items by tabs
-TT reformat tab aligned text
-R#, --table-right=# right adjust table columns
Default alias options:
--board-color FG BG board style pages with FG and BG colors
--white-board black on white board
--black-board white on black board
--green-board white on green board
--slate-board white on dark slategray board
# VERSION
Version 1.42
# DESCRIPTION
**ansicolumn** is a [column(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/column) command clone which can handle ANSI
terminal sequences, backspaces, and Asian wide characters. It
supports traditional options and some of Linux extended, and many
other original options.
In addition to normal operation, table style output (`-t`) is
supported as well.
In contrast to the original [column(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/column) command which handles mainly
short item list, and Linux variant which has been expanded to have
ritch table style output, **ansicolumn(1)** has been expanded to show
text file in multi-column view. Combined with pagenation and
document-friendly folding mechanism, it can be used as a document
viewing preprocessor for pager program.
In order to accurately display the contents of the file, blank lines
that were ignored by the original [column(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/column) command are not
ignored.
When multiple files are given as arguments, it gets in the parallel
view mode, and show all files in parallel. It's convenient to see
multiple files side-by-side.
## COMPATIBLE OPTIONS
The column utility formats its input into multiple columns. Rows are
filled before columns. Input is taken from _file_ operands, or, by
default, from the standard input.
- **-w**#, **-c**#, **--width**=#, **--output-width**=#
Output is formatted for a display columns wide. See ["CALCULATION"](#calculation)
section.
Accept `-c` for compatibility, but `-w` is more popular.
- **-s**#, **--separator**=#
Specify a set of characters to be used to delimit columns for the -t
option. When used with `--regex-sep` or `-r` option, it is used as
regex rather than character set.
- **-t**, **--table**
Determine the number of columns the input contains and create a
table. Columns are delimited with whitespace, by default, or
with the characters supplied using the -s option. Useful for
pretty-printing displays.
Unlike original [column(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/column) command, empty field is not ignored.
- **-l**#, **--table-columns-limit**=#
Specify maximal number of the input columns. The last column will
contain all remaining line data if the limit is smaller than the
number of the columns in the input data.
- **-x**, **--fillrows**
Fill columns before filling rows.
- **-o**#, **--output-separator**=#
When used `--table` or `-t` option, each column are joined by two
space characters (' ') by default. This option will change it.
- **-R**#, **--table-right**=#
Right align text in these columns. Multiple columns are separated by
commas. Support only numbers.
Parameters are parsed by the [Getopt::EX::Numbers](https://metacpan.org/pod/Getopt%3A%3AEX%3A%3ANumbers) module, so you can
specify a range of numbers, as in `-R2:5` which is equivalent to
`-R2,3,4,5`. Option `-R:` makes all fields right-aligned.
## EXTENDED OPTIONS
- **-P**\[#\], **--page**\[=#\]
Page mode. Set these options.
--height=# or 1-
--linestyle=wrap
--border
--fillup
If optional number is given, it is used as a page height unless option
`--height` exists. Otherwise page height is set to terminal height
minus one.
- **-U**#, **--up**=#, **--2up** .. **--9up**
Show in N-up format. Almost same as `-P` but does not set page
height. This is convenient when you want multi-column output without
page control.
- **-D**, **--document**
Document mode. Set these options.
--widen
--linebreak=all
--linestyle=wrap
--boundary=word
--no-white-space
--no-isolation
Next command display DOCX text in 3-up format using
[App::optex::textconv](https://metacpan.org/pod/App%3A%3Aoptex%3A%3Atextconv).
optex -Mtextconv ansicolumn -DPC3 foo.docx | less
- **-V**, **--**\[**no-**\]**parallel**
Parallel view mode. Implicitly enabled when multiple files are
specified. Use `--no-parallel` to disable.
Set these options, and cancel all pagenation behavior.
--widen
--linestyle=wrap
--border
By default, all files are displayed in parallel. In other words,
number of pane is set as a number of files. You can use `-C` option
to specify number of files displayed simultaneously.
You can use this option mixed with `-D` option to see document files.
If you want to display multiple parts in a single stream in parallel,
use the `--pages` option. It will split the data by form feed
characters and treat each part as a separate file.
- **-H**, **--filename**
- **--filename-format**=_format_ (DEFAULT: `: %s`)
Print filename header before contents. Currently, this option is
effective only in `--parallel` mode. Filename is truncated in each
pane width.
This option is convenient to look over many small files at once.
ansicolumn -VHC1 *.txt | less
Filename is printed in a format given by `--filename-format` option.
Default is `: %s` so that making easy to move to next file by `^:`
pattern search.
- **-X**#, **--cell**=#
Sets the display width of each file. This option is only valid with
parallel view mode. For example, if you are displaying three files
and want the first file to be displayed in 80 columns and the
remaining files in 40 columns, specify like this:
--cell 80,40,40
This is the same as
--cell 80,40
since the last value specified is repeated.
You can also specify values relative to the default width. For
example, to display the first column 20 columns more and the remaining
columns 10 columns less, use
--cell +20,-10
To return to the default display width for the fourth and subsequent
files, use
--cell +20,-10,-10,+0
If `=` is specified as the value, it is set to the width of the
longest line in the file.
-X=
Then all specified files will be displayed with the width of the
longest line they contain. `=` may be followed by a maximum value.
-X=80
will set the cell width to length of the longest line if it is less
than 80, or 80 if it is greater than 80. `<` may be used instead
of `=`.
-X'<80'
The correspondence between file and display width remains the same
even when the number of columns to be displayed simultaneously is
specified with the `-C` option.
- **-C**#, **--pane**=#
Output is formatted in the specified number of panes. Setting number
of panes implies `--widen` option enabled. See ["CALCULATION"](#calculation)
section.
- **-S**#, **--pane-width**=#, **--pw**=#
Specify the span of each pane. This includes border spaces. See
["CALCULATION"](#calculation) section.
- **-W**, **--widen**
Use full width of the terminal. Each pane is expanded to fill
terminal width, unless `--pane-width` is specified.
- **-p**, **--paragraph**
Insert empty line between every successive non-empty lines.
- **-B**, **--border**\[=_style_\] (DEFAULT: `box`)
Print border. Enabled by `--page` option automatically. If the
optional _style_ is given, it is used as a border style and precedes
to `--border-style` option. Use `--border=none` to disable it.
Border style is specified by `--border-style` option.
- **-F**, **--fillup**\[=`pane`|`page`|`none`\]
Fill up final pane or page by empty lines. Parameter is optional and
considered as 'pane' by default. Set by `--page` option
automatically. Use `--fillup=none` if you want to explicitly disable
it.
Option `-F` is a shortcut for `--fillup=pane`.
- **--fillup-str**=_string_
Set string used for filling up space. Default is empty.
Use `--fillup-str='~'` to fill up the area after EOF by `~`
character like [vi(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/vi) or [more(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/more).
- **--height**=#
Set page height and page mode on. See ["CALCULATION"](#calculation) section.
- **--column-unit**=#, **--cu**=# (DEFAULT: 8)
Each column is placed at the unit of 8 by default. This option
changes the number of the unit.
- **--margin**=#
Each column has at least single character margin on the right side so
that they are not placed back-to-back. This option specifies the
margin width.
- **-A**, **--table-align**
Align each field in the table output to column-unit. If this option
is specified, **--output-separator** option is ignored.
Implicitly enable the **--table** option.
- **-T**, **-TT**, **--table-tabs**
This option enables the **--table** and **--table-align** option, and
forces to use tab characters between items. The width of tab uses the
value of **--column-unit**. Option **--table-right** does not take
effect.
If the **-T** option is specified twice, set the input separator as
repeating tabs (same as **-rs '\\t+'**). So the option **-TT** can be
used to reformat tab aligned text.
- **--linestyle**=`none`|`truncate`|`wrap`|`wordwrap`, **--ls**=`...`
Set the style of treatment for longer lines.
Default is `none`.
Option `--linestyle=wordrap` sets `--linestyle=wrap` and
`--boundary=word` at once.
- **--boundary**=`none`|`word`|`space`
Set text wrap boundary. If set as `word` or `space`, text is not
wrapped in the middle of alphanumeric word or non-space sequence.
Option `--document` set this as `word`. See [Text::ANSI::Fold](https://metacpan.org/pod/Text%3A%3AANSI%3A%3AFold) for
detail.
- **--linebreak**=`none`|`all`|`runin`|`runout`, **--lb**=...
Set the linebreak mode.
- **--runin**=#, **--runout**=#, **--runlen**=#
Set the number of runin/runout column. `--runlen` set both.
Default is both 2.
As for Japanese text, only one character can be moved with default
value. Longer value allows more flexible arrangement, but makes text
area shorter. Author is using the command with own `~/.ansicolumnrc`
like this:
option default --runin=4 --runout=4
- **--**\[**no-**\]**pagebreak**
Move to next pane when form feed character found.
Default true.
- **-r**, **--regex-sep**
Treat separator option as a regex pattern. Next example specifies a
space character just before `(` as a separator.
gem list | ansicolumn -trs ' (?=\()'
- **--border-style**=_style_, **--bs**=...
Set the border style. Current default style is `box`, which enclose
each pane with box drawing graphic characters. Special style
`random` choose random style.
Sample styles:
none,
space,
vbar, heavy-vbar, fat-vbar,
line, heavy-line,
hline, heavy-hline,
bottom-line, heavy-bottom-line,
stick, heavy-stick,
ascii-frame,
ascii-box,
c-box,
box, heavy-box, fat-box, very-fat-box,
dash-box, heavy-dash-box, fat-dash-box,
round-box,
inner-box, outer-box,
frame, heavy-frame, fat-frame, very-fat-frame,
dash-frame, heavy-dash-frame, fat-dash-frame,
page-frame, heavy-page-frame,
zebra-frame,
checker-box, checker-frame,
shadow, shin-shadow,
shadow-box, shin-shadow-box, heavy-shadow-box,
comb, heavy-comb,
rake, heavy-rake,
mesh, heavy-mesh,
dumbbell, heavy-dumbbell,
ribbon, heavy-ribbon,
round-ribbon,
double-ribbon,
etc.
These are experimental and subject to change, and this document is not
always up-to-date. See \`perldoc -m App::ansicolumn::Border\` for
actual data.
You can define your own style in module or startup file. Put next
lines in your `$HOME/.ansicolumnrc` file, for example.
option default --border-style myheart
__PERL__
App::ansicolumn::Border->add_style(
myheart => {
left => [ "\N{WHITE HEART SUIT} ", "\N{BLACK HEART SUIT} " ],
center => [ "\N{WHITE HEART SUIT} ", "\N{BLACK HEART SUIT} " ],
right => [ "\N{WHITE HEART SUIT}" , "\N{BLACK HEART SUIT}" ],
},
);
- **--**\[**no-**\]**ignore-space**, **--**\[**no-**\]**is**
When used `-t` option, leading spaces are ignored by default. Use
`--no-ignore-space` option to disable it.
- **--**\[**no-**\]**white-space**
Allow white spaces at the top of each pane, or clean them up. Default
true. Negated by `--document` option.
- **--**\[**no-**\]**isolation**
Allow the first line of a paragraph (continuous non-space lines) is
placed at the bottom of a pane. Default true. If false, move it to
the top of next pane. Negated by `--document` option.
- **--tabstop**=# (DEFAULT: 8)
Set tab width.
- **--tabhead**=#
- **--tabspace**=#
Set head and following space characters. Both are space by default.
If the option value is longer than single character, it is evaluated
as unicode name.
- **--tabstyle**, **--ts**
- **--tabstyle**=_style_, **--ts**=...
- **--tabstyle**=_head-style_,_space-style_ **--ts**=...
Set the style how tab is expanded. Select `symbol` or `shade` for
example. If two style names are combined, like
`squat-arrow,middle-dot`, use `squat-arrow` for tabhead and
`middle-dot` for tabspace.
Show available style list if called without parameter. Styles are
defined in [Text::ANSI::Fold](https://metacpan.org/pod/Text%3A%3AANSI%3A%3AFold) library.
- **--ambiguous**=`wide`|`narrow` (DEFAULT: `narrow`)
Specifies how to treat Unicode ambiguous width characters. Take a
value of 'narrow' or 'wide. Default is 'narrow'.
- **--pages**
Split file content by formfeed character, and treat each part as a
individual file. Use with `--parallel` option.
# DEFAULT ALISES
The following options are defined in `App::ansicolumn::default.pm`.
- **--board-color** _fg-color_ _bg-color_
This option is defined as follows:
option --board-color \
--bs=inner-box \
--cm=BORDER=$<2>,TEXT=$/$
The resulting text is displayed in an _fg-color_ font on an
_bg-color_ panel.
- **--white-board**
- **--black-board**
- **--green-board**
- **--slate-board**
Use the `--board-color` option to display text on the white, black,
green or darkslate panels.
# CALCULATION
As for `--height`, `--width`, `--pane`, `--up` and `--pane-width`
options, besides giving numeric digits, you can calculate the number
using terminal size. If the expression contains non-digit character,
it is evaluated as an RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) with the terminal
size pushed on the stack. Initial value for `--height` options is
terminal height, and terminal width for others.
OPTION VALUE
================= =========================
--height 1- height - 1
--height 2/ height / 2
--height 1-2/ (height - 1) / 2
--height dup2%-2/ (height - height % 2) / 2
Space and comma characters are ignored in the expression. So `1-2/`
and `1 - 2 /` and `1,-,2,/` are all same. See \`perldoc
Math::RPN\` for the expression detail.
Next example select number of panes by dividing terminal width by 85:
ansicolumn --pane 85/
If you consider the case the terminal width is less than 85:
ansicolumn --pane 85/,DUP,1,GE,EXCH,1,IF
This RPN means `$height/85 >= 1 ? $height/85 : 1`.
# STARTUP
This command is implemented with [Getopt::EX](https://metacpan.org/pod/Getopt%3A%3AEX) module. So
~/.ansicolumnrc
file is read at start up time. If you want use `--no-white-space`
always, put this line in your `~/.ansicolumnrc`.
option default --no-white-space
Also command can be extended by original modules with `-M`
option. See \`perldoc Getopt::EX\` for detail.
# INSTALL
## CPANMINUS
$ cpanm App::ansicolumn
To get the latest code, use this:
$ cpanm https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn.git
# EXAMPLES
[https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn/tree/master/images](https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn/tree/master/images)
# SEE ALSO
[https://github.com/tecolicom/ANSI-Tools](https://github.com/tecolicom/ANSI-Tools)
[column(1)](http://man.he.net/man1/column),
[https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/column.1.html](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/column.1.html)
[App::ansicolumn](https://metacpan.org/pod/App%3A%3Aansicolumn),
[https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn](https://github.com/tecolicom/App-ansicolumn)
[Text::ANSI::Printf](https://metacpan.org/pod/Text%3A%3AANSI%3A%3APrintf),
[https://github.com/tecolicom/Text-ANSI-Printf](https://github.com/tecolicom/Text-ANSI-Printf)
## Articles (in Japanese)
- [https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/345cd9abcd8e1f0d81a2](https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/345cd9abcd8e1f0d81a2)
- [https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/1cdd71d44eb11f3fb36e](https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/1cdd71d44eb11f3fb36e)
- [https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/32e1c2d4c42a80c42422](https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/32e1c2d4c42a80c42422)
- [https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/a347628da09638e633ed](https://qiita.com/kaz-utashiro/items/a347628da09638e633ed)
# RELATED WORKS
[https://github.com/LukeSavefrogs/column\_ansi](https://github.com/LukeSavefrogs/column_ansi)
# AUTHOR
Kazumasa Utashiro
# LICENSE
Copyright © 2020-2024 Kazumasa Utashiro.
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself.