expand(1) — Linux manual page

EXPAND(1)                     User Commands                     EXPAND(1)

NAME         top

       expand - convert tabs to spaces

SYNOPSIS         top

       expand [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION         top

       Convert tabs in each FILE to spaces, writing to standard output.

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short
       options too.

       -i, --initial
              do not convert tabs after non blanks

       -t, --tabs=N
              have tabs N characters apart, not 8

       -t, --tabs=LIST
              use comma separated list of tab positions.  The last
              specified position can be prefixed with '/' to specify a
              tab size to use after the last explicitly specified tab
              stop.  Also a prefix of '+' can be used to align remaining
              tab stops relative to the last specified tab stop instead
              of the first column

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

AUTHOR         top

       Written by David MacKenzie.

REPORTING BUGS         top

       GNU coreutils online help:
       <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       Report any translation bugs to
       <https://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT         top

       Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+:
       GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO         top

       unexpand(1)

       Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/expand>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) expand invocation'

COLOPHON         top

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       manipulation utilities) project.  Information about the project
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GNU coreutils 9.7               April 2025                      EXPAND(1)

Pages that refer to this page: col(1),  colrm(1),  unexpand(1)

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