--- name: "Text::Format" section: "3pm" platform: "linux" package: "libtext-format-perl" version: "0.63-1" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/Text::Format" --- # Text::Format(3pm) Various subroutines to format text. ## NAME Text::Format - Various subroutines to format text. ## VERSION version 0.63 ## SYNOPSIS ``` use Text::Format; my $text = Text::Format->new ( { text => [], # all columns => 72, # format, paragraphs, center leftMargin => 0, # format, paragraphs, center rightMargin => 0, # format, paragraphs, center firstIndent => 4, # format, paragraphs bodyIndent => 0, # format, paragraphs rightFill => 0, # format, paragraphs rightAlign => 0, # format, paragraphs justify => 0, # format, paragraphs extraSpace => 0, # format, paragraphs abbrevs => {}, # format, paragraphs hangingIndent => 0, # format, paragraphs hangingText => [], # format, paragraphs noBreak => 0, # format, paragraphs noBreakRegex => {}, # format, paragraphs tabstop => 8, # expand, unexpand, center } ); # these are the default values my %abbr = (foo => 1, bar => 1); $text->abbrevs(\%abbr); $text->abbrevs(); $text->abbrevs({foo => 1,bar => 1}); $text->abbrevs(qw/foo bar/); $text->text(\@text); $text->columns(132); $text->tabstop(4); $text->extraSpace(1); $text->firstIndent(8); $text->bodyIndent(4); $text->config({tabstop => 4,firstIndent => 0}); $text->rightFill(0); $text->rightAlign(0); ``` ## DESCRIPTION The **format** routine will format under all circumstances even if the width isn't enough to contain the longest words. *Text::Wrap* will die under these circumstances, although I am told this is fixed. If columns is set to a small number and words are longer than that and the leading 'whitespace' than there will be a single word on each line. This will let you make a simple word list which could be indented or right aligned. There is a chance for croaking if you try to subvert the module. If you don't pass in text then the internal text is worked on, though not modified. *Text::Format* is meant for more powerful text formatting than what *Text::Wrap* allows. I also have a module called *Text::NWrap* that is meant as a direct replacement for *Text::Wrap*. *Text::NWrap* requires *Text::Format* since it uses *Text::Format-\>format* to do the actual wrapping but gives you the interface of *Text::Wrap*. General setup should be explained with the below graph. ``` columns <------------------------------------------------------------> <----------><------><---------------------------><-----------> leftMargin indent text is formatted into here rightMargin ``` indent is firstIndent or bodyIndent depending on where we are in the paragraph. - **format** @ARRAY \|\| \\@ARRAY \|\| \[\\] \|\| NOTHING Allows one to do some advanced formatting of text into a paragraph, with indent for first line and body set separately. Can specify total width of text, right fill with spaces or right align or justify (align to both margins), right margin and left margin, non-breaking space, two spaces at end of sentence, hanging indents (tagged paragraphs). Strips all leading and trailing whitespace before proceeding. Text is first split into words and then reassembled. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. - **paragraphs** @ARRAY \|\| \\@ARRAY \|\| \[\\] \|\| NOTHING Considers each element of text as a paragraph and if the indents are the same for first line and the body then the paragraphs are separated by a single empty line otherwise they follow one under the other. If hanging indent is set then a single empty line will separate each paragraph as well. Calls *format* to do the actual formatting. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted, though not changed. - **center** @ARRAY \|\| NOTHING Centers a list of strings in `@ARRAY` or internal text. Empty lines appear as, you guessed it, empty lines. Center strips all leading and trailing whitespace before proceeding. Left margin and right margin can be set. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. - **expand** @ARRAY \|\| NOTHING Expand tabs in the list of text to tabstop number of spaces in `@ARRAY` or internal text. Doesn't modify the internal text just passes back the modified text. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. - **unexpand** @ARRAY \|\| NOTHING Tabstop number of spaces are turned into tabs in `@ARRAY` or internal text. Doesn't modify the internal text just passes back the modified text. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. - **new** \\%HASH \|\| NOTHING Instantiates the object. If you pass a reference to a hash, or an anonymous hash then it is used in setting attributes. - **config** \\%HASH Allows the configuration of all object attributes at once. Returns the object prior to configuration. You can use it to make a clone of your object before you change attributes. - **columns** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set width of text or retrieve width. This is total width and includes indentation and the right and left margins. - **tabstop** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set tabstop size or retrieve tabstop size, only used by expand, unexpand and center. - **firstIndent** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set or get indent for the first line of paragraph. This is the number of spaces to indent. - **bodyIndent** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set or get indent for the body of paragraph. This is the number of spaces to indent. - **leftMargin** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set or get width of left margin. This is the number of spaces used for the margin. - **rightMargin** NUMBER \|\| NOTHING Set or get width of right margin. This is the number of spaces used for the margin. - **rightFill** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Set right fill or retrieve its value. The filling is done with spaces. Keep in mind that if *rightAlign* is also set then both *rightFill* and *rightAlign* are ignored. - **rightAlign** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Set right align or retrieve its value. Text is aligned with the right side of the margin. Keep in mind that if *rightFill* is also set then both *rightFill* and *rightAlign* are ignored. - **justify** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Set justify or retrieve its value. Text is aligned with both margins, adding extra spaces as necessary to align text with left and right margins. Keep in mind that if either of *rightAlign* or *rightFill* are set then *justify* is ignored, even if both are set in which case they are all ignored. - **text** \\@ARRAY \|\| NOTHING Pass in a reference to your text, or an anonymous array of text that you want the routines to manipulate. Returns the text held in the object. - **hangingIndent** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Use hanging indents in front of a paragraph, returns current value of attribute. This is also called a tagged paragraph. - **hangingText** \\@ARRAY \|\| NOTHING The text that will be displayed in front of each paragraph, if you call *format* then only the first element is used, if you call *paragraphs* then *paragraphs* cycles through all of them. If you have more paragraphs than elements in your array than the remainder of the paragraphs will not have a hanging indented text. Pass a reference to your array. This is also called a tagged paragraph. - **noBreak** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Set whether you want to use the non-breaking space feature (see **noBreakRegex** below). - **noBreakRegex** \\%HASH \|\| NOTHING Pass in a reference to a hash that would hold the regexes on which not to break. In order for this to happen, it requires **noBreak** to be set to **true** - see above. Without any arguments, it returns the hash. E.g: ``` {'^Mrs?\.$' => '^\S+$','^\S+$' => '^(?:S|J)r\.$'} ``` don't break names such as Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Jones Jr. The breaking algorithm is simple. If there should not be a break at the current end of sentence, then a backtrack is done till there are two words on which breaking is allowed. If no two such words are found then the end of sentence is broken anyhow. If there is a single word on current line then no backtrack is done and the word is stuck on the end. This is so you can make a list of names for example. **Note**: this feature requires **noBreak** to be set to true. - **extraSpace** 0 \|\| 1 \|\| NOTHING Add extra space after end of sentence, normally *format* would add 1 space after end of sentence, if this is set to 1 then 2 spaces are used. Abbreviations are not followed by two spaces. There are a few internal abbreviations and you can add your own to the object with *abbrevs* - **abbrevs** \\%HASH \|\| @ARRAY \|\| NOTHING Add to the current abbreviations, takes a reference to your hash or an array of abbreviations, if called a second time the original reference is removed and replaced by the new one. Returns the current INTERNAL abbreviations. ## EXAMPLE ``` use Text::Format; my $text = Text::Format->new; $text->rightFill(1); $text->columns(65); $text->tabstop(4); print $text->format("a line to format to an indented regular paragraph using 65 character wide display"); print $text->paragraphs("paragraph one","paragraph two"); print $text->center("hello world","nifty line 2"); print $text->expand("\t\thello world\n","hmm,\twell\n"); print $text->unexpand(" hello world\n"," hmm"); $text->config({columns => 132, tabstop => 4}); $text = Text::Format->new(); print $text->format(@text); print $text->paragraphs(@text); print $text->center(@text); print $text->format([]); print $text->format([$fh->getlines()]); print $text->paragraphs([]); print $text->expand(@text); print $text->unexpand(@text); $text = Text::Format->new ({tabstop => 4,bodyIndent => 4,text => \@text}); print $text->format(); print $text->paragraphs(); print $text->center(); print $text->expand(); print $text->unexpand(); print Text::Format->new({columns => 95})->format(@text); ``` ## BUGS Line length can exceed the number of specified columns if columns is set to a small number and long words plus leading whitespace exceed the specified column length. Actually I see this as a feature since it can be used to make up a nice word list. ## LICENSE Copyright (c) 1998 Gabor Egressy. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. ## AUTHOR Gabor Egressy **gabor@vmunix.com** Copyright (c) 1998 Gabor Egressy. All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed. This program is free software; you can redistribute and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. Adopted and modified by Shlomi Fish, \ - all rights disclaimed. ## ACKNOWLEDGMENTS **Tom Phoenix** Found a bug with code for two spaces at the end of the sentence and provided a code fragment for a better solution. Also some preliminary suggestions on the design. **Brad Appleton** Suggestion and explanation of hanging indents, suggestion for non-breaking whitespace, general suggestions with regard to interface design. **Byron Brummer** Suggestion for better interface design and object design, code for better implementation of getting abbreviations. **H. Merijn Brand** Suggestion for a justify feature and original code for doing the justification. I changed the code to take into account the extra space at end of sentence feature. **Anne Wainwright** Inspired a documentation clarification about **noBreak** required by **noBreakRegex** , thanks to a report with a problem. ## TODO ## SUPPORT ### Websites The following websites have more information about this module, and may be of help to you. As always, in addition to those websites please use your favorite search engine to discover more resources. - • MetaCPAN A modern, open-source CPAN search engine, useful to view POD in HTML format. \ - • RT: CPAN's Bug Tracker The RT ( Request Tracker ) website is the default bug/issue tracking system for CPAN. \ - • CPANTS The CPANTS is a website that analyzes the Kwalitee ( code metrics ) of a distribution. \ - • CPAN Testers The CPAN Testers is a network of smoke testers who run automated tests on uploaded CPAN distributions. \ - • CPAN Testers Matrix The CPAN Testers Matrix is a website that provides a visual overview of the test results for a distribution on various Perls/platforms. \ - • CPAN Testers Dependencies The CPAN Testers Dependencies is a website that shows a chart of the test results of all dependencies for a distribution. \ ### Bugs / Feature Requests Please report any bugs or feature requests by email to `"bug-text-format at rt.cpan.org"`, or through the web interface at \. You will be automatically notified of any progress on the request by the system. ### Source Code The code is open to the world, and available for you to hack on. Please feel free to browse it and play with it, or whatever. If you want to contribute patches, please send me a diff or prod me to pull from your repository :) \ ``` git clone https://github.com/shlomif/perl-Module-Format ``` ## AUTHOR Shlomi Fish \ ## BUGS Please report any bugs or feature requests on the bugtracker website \ When submitting a bug or request, please include a test-file or a patch to an existing test-file that illustrates the bug or desired feature. ## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE This software is copyright (c) 2024 by Gabor Egressy. This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.