fmt(1)                (Directory and File Management)                fmt(1)


   NAME
         fmt - simple text formatters

   SYNOPSIS
         fmt [ -cs ] [ -w width ] [ file...  ]

   DESCRIPTION
         fmt is a simple text formatter that fills and joins lines to produce
         output lines of (up to) the number of characters specified in the -w
         width option.  The default width is 72.  fmt concatenates the
         inputfiles listed as arguments.  If none are given, fmt formats text
         from the standard input.

         Blank lines are preserved in the output, as is the spacing between
         words.  fmt does not fill lines beginning with a ``.'' (dot), for
         compatibility with nroff(1).  Nor does it fill lines starting with
         ``From:''.

         Indentation is preserved in the output, and input lines with
         differing indentation are not joined (unless -c is used).

         fmt can also be used as an in-line text filter for vi(1); the vi
         command:

               !}fmt

         reformats the text between the cursor location and the end of the
         paragraph.

   OPTIONS
         -c          Crown margin mode.  Preserve the indentation of the first
                     two lines within a paragraph, and align the left margin
                     of each subsequent line with that of the second line.
                     This is useful for tagged paragraphs.

         -s          Split lines only.  Do not join short lines to form longer
                     ones. This prevents sample lines of code, and other such
                     formatted text, from being unduly combined.

         -w width    Fill output lines to up to width columns.

   SEE ALSO
         nroff(1), vi(1)

   NOTES
         The -width option is acceptable for BSD compatibility, but it may go
         away in future releases.






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