User Commands                                             fold(1)


NAME
     fold - filter for folding lines

SYNOPSIS
  /usr/bin/fold
     /usr/bin/fold [ options ] [file...]

 
  ksh93
     fold [ options ] [file...]

DESCRIPTION
    fold is a filter that folds lines from its input, breaking the
    lines to have a maximum of width column positions (or bytes if
    the -b option is specified). Lines are broken by the insertion of
    a newline character such that each output line is the maximum
    width possible that does not exceed the specified number of
    column positions, (or bytes). A line will not be broken in the
    middle of a character.

    Unless the -b option is specified, the following will be treated
    specially:
      carriage-return
            The current count of line width will be set to zero. fold
            will not insert a newline immediately before or after a
            carriage-return.
      backspace
            If positive, the current count of line width will be
            decremented by one. fold will not insert a newline
            immediately before or after a backspace.
      tab   Each tab character encountered will advance the column
            position to the next tab stop. Tab stops are at each
            column position n, where n modulo 8 equals 1.

    If no file is given, or if the file is -, fold reads from
    standard input. The start of the file is defined as the current
    offset.


OPTIONS
     The following options are supported:

     -b, --bytes     Count bytes rather than columns so that each
                     carriage-return, backspace, and tab counts as 1.
     -c, --continue=text
                     Emit text at line splits. The default value is
                     '\n'.
     -d, --delimiter=delim
                     Break at delim boundaries.
     -s, --spaces    Break at word boundaries. If the line contains
                     any blanks, (spaces or tabs), within the first
                     width column positions or bytes, the line is
                     broken after the last blank meeting the width
                     constraint.
     -w, --width=width
                     Use a maximum line length of width columns
                     instead of the default. The default value is 80.


OPERANDS
     The following operand is supported:

     file     A path name of a text file to be folded. If no file
              operands  are specified, the standard input will be
              used.


EXAMPLES
     Example 1: Submitting a file of possibly long lines  to  the
     line printer

     An example invocation that submits a file of  possibly  long
     lines  to  the  line  printer (under the assumption that the
     user knows the line width of the printer to be  assigned  by
     lp(1)):

     example% fold -w 132 bigfile | lp


ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
     See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment
     variables  that  affect the execution of fold: LANG, LC_ALL,
     LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.


EXIT STATUS
     The following exit values are returned:


     0        All input files were processed successfully.



     >0       An error occurred.



ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following
     attributes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | CSI                         | enabled                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Interface Stability         | Commited                    |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

    This command conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2008.


SEE ALSO
     cut(1), ksh93(1), pr(1), attributes(5), environ(5), standards(5),
     http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/fold.html


NOTES
     fold(1) and cut(1) can be used to  create  text  files  out  of
     files with arbitrary line lengths. fold(1) should be used when
     the contents of long lines need to be kept  contiguous. cut(1)
     should be used when the number of lines (or records) needs
     to remain constant.

     fold(1) is frequently used to send text files to line  printers
     that  truncate,  rather than  fold, lines wider than the
     printer is able to print (usually 80 or 132 column positions).





SunOS 5.10           Last change: 1 Feb 1995                    3