TABS(1)			 HP-UX 5.0		       TABS(1)

     NAME
	  tabs - set tabs on a terminal

     SYNOPSIS
	  tabs [ tabspec ] [ +mn ] [ -Ttype ]

     HP-UX COMPATIBILITY
	  Level:    HP-UX/STANDARD

	  Origin:   System III

     DESCRIPTION
	  Tabs sets the tab stops on the user's terminal according  to
	  the  tab  specification tabspec, after clearing any previous
	  settings.  The user's terminal must  have  remotely-settable
	  hardware tabs.

	  If you are using a non-HP terminal, you should keep in  mind
	  that behavior will vary for some tab settings.

	  Four types of tab specification are  accepted	 for  tabspec:
	  ``canned,''  repetitive, arbitrary, and file.	 If no tabspec
	  is given, the default value is -8, i.e., HP-UX  ``standard''
	  tabs.	  The  lowest column number is 1.  Note that for tabs,
	  column 1 always refers to the leftmost column on a terminal,
	  even one whose column markers begin at 0.

	  -code	  Gives the name of one of a set of  ``canned''	 tabs.
		  The legal codes and their meanings are as follows:
		  -a  1,10,16,36,72
		      Assembler, IBM S/370, first format
		  -a2 1,10,16,40,72
		      Assembler, IBM S/370, second format
		  -c  1,8,12,16,20,55
		      COBOL, normal format
		  -c2 1,6,10,14,49
		      COBOL  compact  format  (columns	1-6  omitted).
		      Using  this  code,  the  first  typed  character
		      corresponds to card column 7, one space gets you
		      to column 8, and a tab reaches column 12.	 Files
		      using this tab setup  should  include  a	format
		      specification as follows:
			   <:t-c2 m6 s66 d:>
		  -c3 1,6,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38,42,46,50,54,58,62,67
		      COBOL compact format (columns 1-6 omitted), with
		      more  tabs  than	-c2.  This  is the recommended
		      format  for  COBOL.   The	  appropriate	format
		      specification is:
			   <:t-c3 m6 s66 d:>
		  -f  1,7,11,15,19,23
		      FORTRAN
		  -p  1,5,9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57,61
		      PL/I
		  -s  1,10,55
		      SNOBOL
		  -u  1,12,20,44
		      UNIVAC 1100 Assembler

	  In addition to these ``canned'' formats, three  other	 types
	  exist:

	  -n	  A repetitive specification requests tabs at  columns
		  1+n,	1+2*n,	etc.   Of particular importance is the
		  value -8: this represents the HP-UX ``standard'' tab
		  setting,  and	 is  the most likely tab setting to be
		  found at a terminal.	It is required	for  use  with
		  the	nroff(1)  -h  option  for  high-speed  output.
		  Another special case is the value  -0,  implying  no
		  tabs at all.
	  n1,n2,...
		  The arbitrary format permits the user	 to  type  any
		  chosen  set  of  numbers,  separated	by  commas, in
		  ascending order.  Up to 40 numbers are allowed.   If
		  any  number  (except the first one) is preceded by a
		  plus sign, it is taken as an increment to  be	 added
		  to   the   previous  value.	Thus,  the  tab	 lists
		  1,10,20,30   and   1,10,+10,+10    are    considered
		  identical.
	  --file  If the name of a file is given, tabs reads the first
		  line	 of   the   file,   searching	for  a	format
		  specification.  If it finds one there, it  sets  the
		  tab stops according to it, otherwise it sets them as
		  -8.  This type of specification may be used to  make
		  sure	that a tabbed file is printed with correct tab
		  settings, and would be used with the pr(1) command:
		       tabs -- file; pr file

	  Any of the following may be  used  also;  if	a  given  flag
	  occurs more than once, the last value given takes effect:

	  -Ttype  Tabs usually needs to know the type of  terminal  in
		  order	 to set tabs and always needs to know the type
		  to set margins.  Type is a name listed  in  term(7).
		  If  no  -T  flag  is supplied, tabs searches for the
		  $TERM value in the environment (see environ(7)).  If
		  no  type  can	 be  found, tabs tries a sequence that
		  will work for many terminals.
	  +mn	  The margin argument may be used for some  terminals.
		  It  causes  all  tabs	 to be moved over n columns by
		  making column n+1 the left margin.  If +m  is	 given
		  without  a value of n, the value assumed is 10.  The
		  normal  (leftmost)  margin  on  most	terminals   is
		  obtained  by	+m0.  The margin for most terminals is
		  reset only when the +m flag is given explicitly.
	  Tab and margin setting is performed via the standard output.

     DIAGNOSTICS
	  illegal tabs	      when   arbitrary	 tabs	are    ordered
			      incorrectly.
	  illegal increment   when a  zero  or	missing	 increment  is
			      found in an arbitrary specification.
	  unknown tab code    when a ``canned'' code cannot be found.
	  can't open	      if --file option used, and file can't be
			      opened.
	  file indirection    if   --file   option   used   and	   the
			      specification in that file points to yet
			      another file.  Indirection of this  form
			      is not permitted.

     SEE ALSO
	  pr(1), nroff(1), tset(1), environ(7), term(7).

     BUGS
	  There is no consistency among different terminals  regarding
	  ways of clearing tabs and setting the left margin.
	  It is generally  impossible  to  usefully  change  the  left
	  margin without also setting tabs.
	  Tabs clears only 20 tabs  (on	 terminals  requiring  a  long
	  sequence), but is willing to set 64.