[comp.os.vms] Tab Expansion Program

CADS_COLE@GALLUA.BITNET ("Kevin Cole at Gallaudet U. Washington DC") (05/12/88)

Rick Millhollin of University of Oregon (RICKM@OREGON) writes:

>We are moving from a DEC-10 to a VAX, and the former had a nice option on
>the COPY command to expand tabs in a file into spaces.  There doesn't seem
>to be any way to do this using VMS commands.  Have we just missed it?  If
>not, does anybody out there have a program to do this, or know of one on
>the DECUS tapes?

Just grab yourself a copy of the Kernighan & Ritchie bible (The C Programming
Language) and read through Chapter 1...  As I recall, it was a rather trivial
program to write.  And if you don't have a C compiler, you should still be able
to put something together in your favorite language in a matter of hours.

(I suspect there are probably very sophisticated programs of this sort running
 around.  So if you happen to hear of something with all the bells and whistles
 of the DEC-10 TYPE command, let me know.)

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u3369429@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au (Michael Bednarek) (05/17/88)

In article <8805160522.AA09789@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, CADS_COLE@GALLUA.BITNET ("Kevin Cole at Gallaudet U. Washington DC") writes:
> Rick Millhollin of University of Oregon (RICKM@OREGON) writes:
> 
>> [asking for a COPY command which will expand TABs into SPaces]
> 
> [suggests to roll your own]

(I never saw the referenced article [RICKM@OREGON]. Are some articles
getting lost on their way Down Under?)

I wrote a pair of command procedures which employ TPU to convert
TABs <-> SPaces: DETAB and TAB_IT .

I published them some time ago in this group. Drop me a line if you
want it. Be warned, though, that DETABing large files may result in
infinite loops (TPU's fault, not mine).
--
Michael Bednarek, Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (IAESR)
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