fmt

simple optimal text formatter

TLDR

Reformat a file

$ fmt [path/to/file]

Reformat a file producing output lines of (at most) n characters

$ fmt -w [n] [path/to/file]

Reformat a file without joining lines shorter than the given width together

$ fmt -s [path/to/file]

Reformat a file with uniform spacing (1 space between words and 2 spaces between paragraphs)

$ fmt -u [path/to/file]

SYNOPSIS

fmt [-WIDTH] [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION

Reformat each paragraph in the FILE(s), writing to standard output. The option -WIDTH is an abbreviated form of --width=DIGITS.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

-c, --crown-margin: preserve indentation of first two lines
-p, --prefix=STRING: reformat only lines beginning with STRING, reattaching the prefix to reformatted lines
-s, --split-only: split long lines, but do not refill
-t, --tagged-paragraph: indentation of first line different from second
-u, --uniform-spacing: one space between words, two after sentences
-w, --width=WIDTH: maximum line width (default of 75 columns)
-g, --goal=WIDTH: goal width (default of 93% of width)
--help: display this help and exit
--version: output version information and exit

REPORTING BUGS

GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

Copyright © 2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

AUTHOR

Written by Ross Paterson.

fmt