Section (1) column
Name
column — columnate lists
Synopsis
column
[options] [ file...
]
DESCRIPTION
The column utility formats its input into multiple columns. The util support three modes:
- columns are filled before rows
-
This is the default mode (required by backward compatibility).
- rows are filled before columns
-
This mode is enabled by option
−x, −−fillrows
- table
-
Determine the number of columns the input contains and create a table. This mode is enabled by option
−t, −−table
and columns formatting is possible to modify by−−table−*
options. Use this mode if not sure.
Input is taken from file
, or otherwise from
standard input. Empty lines are ignored and all invalid
multibyte sequences are encoded by x<hex>
convention.
OPTIONS
The argument columns for −−table−*
options is comma
separated list of the column names as defined by −−table−columns
or it_zsingle_quotesz_s
column number in order as specified by input. It_zsingle_quotesz_s possible
to mix names and numbers.
−J, −−json
-
Use JSON output format to print the table, the option
−−table−columns
is required and the option−−table−name
is recommended. −c, −−output−width
width-
Output is formatted to a width specified as number of characters. The original name of this option is --columns; this name is deprecated since v2.30. Note that input longer than width is not truncated by default.
−d, −−table−noheadings
-
Do not print header. This option allows to use logical column names on command line, but keep the header hidden when print the table.
−o, −−output−separator
string-
Specify the columns delimiter for table output (default is two spaces).
−s, −−separator
separators-
Specify the possible input item delimiters (default is whitespace).
−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
−−output−separator
option. Table output is useful for pretty-printing. −N, −−table−columns
names-
Specify the columns names by comma separated list of names. The names are used for the table header or to address column in option arguments.
−R, −−table−right
columns-
Right align text in the specified columns.
−T, −−table−truncate
columns-
Specify columns where is allowed to truncate text when necessary, otherwise very long table entries may be printed on multiple lines.
−E, −−table−noextreme
columns-
Specify columns where is possible to ignore unusually long (longer than average) cells when calculate column width. The option has impact to the width calculation and table formatting, but the printed text is not affected.
The option is used for the last visible column by default.
−e, −−table−header−repeat
-
Print header line for each page.
−W, −−table−wrap
columns-
Specify columns where is possible to use multi-line cell for long text when necessary.
−H, −−table−hide
columns-
Don_zsingle_quotesz_t print specified columns. The special placeholder _zsingle_quotesz_-_zsingle_quotesz_ maybe be used to hide all unnamed columns (see --table-columns).
−O, −−table−order
columns-
Specify columns order on output.
−n, −−table−name
name-
Specify the table name used for JSON output. The default is table.
−L, −−table−empty−lines
-
Insert empty line to the table for each empty line on input. The default is ignore empty lines at all.
−r, −−tree
column-
Specify column to use tree-like output. Note that the circular dependencies and another anomalies in child and parent relation are silently ignored.
−i, −−tree−id
column-
Specify column with line ID to create child-parent relation.
−p, −−tree−parent
column-
Specify column with parent ID to create child-parent relation.
−x, −−fillrows
-
Fill rows before filling columns.
−V
,−−version
-
Display version information and exit.
−h, −−help
-
Display help text and exit.
ENVIRONMENT
The environment variable COLUMNS
is used to determine the size of
the screen if no other information is available.
EXAMPLES
Print fstab with header line and align number to the right:
sed _zsingle_quotesz_s/#.*//_zsingle_quotesz_ /etc/fstab | column --table --table-columns SOURCE,TARGET,TYPE,OPTIONS,PASS,FREQ --table-right PASS,FREQ
Print fstab and hide unnamed columns:
sed _zsingle_quotesz_s/#.*//_zsingle_quotesz_ /etc/fstab | column --table --table-columns SOURCE,TARGET,TYPE --table-hide -
Print a tree:
echo -e _zsingle_quotesz_1 0 A
2 1 AA
3 1 AB
4 2 AAA
5 2 AAB_zsingle_quotesz_ | column --tree-id 1 --tree-parent 2 --tree 3
1 0 A
2 1 |-AA
4 2 | |-AAA
5 2 | `-AAB
3 1 `-AB
BUGS
Version 2.23 changed the −s
option to be non-greedy, for
example:
printf a:b:c
1::3
| column -t -s _zsingle_quotesz_:_zsingle_quotesz_
Old output:
a b c 1 3
New output (since util-linux 2.23):
a b c 1 3
AVAILABILITY
The column command is part of the util-linux package and is available from https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/.
Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1993 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software must display the following acknowledgement: This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors. 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS_zsingle_quotesz__zsingle_quotesz_ AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. (#)column.1 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93 |