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# textutil::tabify(n) 0.8 tcllib "Text and string utilities, macro processing"

## Name

textutil::tabify - Procedures to (un)tabify strings

## Synopsis

- package require Tcl 8.5 9
- package require textutil::tabify ?0.8?

- ::textutil::tabify::tabify string ?num?
- ::textutil::tabify::tabify2 string ?num?
- ::textutil::tabify::untabify string ?num?
- ::textutil::tabify::untabify2 string ?num?

## Description

The package textutil::tabify provides commands that convert between tabulation and ordinary whitespace in strings.

The complete set of procedures is described below.

::textutil::tabify::tabify string ?num?

  Tabify the string by replacing any substring of num space chars by a tabulation and return the result as a new string. num defaults to 8.

::textutil::tabify::tabify2 string ?num?

  Similar to ::textutil::tabify this command tabifies the string and returns the result as a new string. A different algorithm is used however. Instead of replacing any substring of num spaces this command works more like an editor. num defaults to 8.

  Each line of the text in string is treated as if there are tabstops every num columns. Only sequences of space characters containing more than one space character and found immediately before a tabstop are replaced with tabs.

::textutil::tabify::untabify string ?num?

  Untabify the string by replacing any tabulation char by a substring of num space chars and return the result as a new string. num defaults to 8.

::textutil::tabify::untabify2 string ?num?

  Untabify the string by replacing any tabulation char by a substring of at most num space chars and return the result as a new string. Unlike textutil::tabify::untabify each tab is not replaced by a fixed number of space characters. The command overlays each line in the string with tabstops every num columns instead and replaces tabs with just enough space characters to reach the next tabstop. This is the complement of the actions taken by ::textutil::tabify::tabify2. num defaults to 8.

  There is one asymmetry though: A tab can be replaced with a single space, but not the other way around.

## Bugs, Ideas, Feedback

This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems. Please report such in the category textutil of the Tcllib Trackers. Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package and/or documentation.

When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

## See Also

regexp(n), split(n), string(n)

## Keywords

formatting, string, tabstops

## Category

Text processing