tbl

Tbl is a command line tool that stands for "table" and is used to format tables in plain text. It is primarily used for aligning columns and rows in a visually appealing manner. The tool takes inputs in the form of plain text files or standard input and produces formatted tables as output.

Tbl allows users to specify various formatting options such as column widths, alignments, border styles, and separators. It can also handle complex tables with multiple columns and rows. Users can define headers, footers, and data cells within the table.

The tool also supports advanced features like merging cells, splitting cells, and adding cell spanning. By providing these functionalities, it enables users to create complex table layouts.

Tbl can be used in shell scripts or in terminal sessions where tabular data needs to be presented in an organized and readable format. It is especially useful for displaying data in reports, logs, generated tables for documentation, or any other scenario where structured data presentation is required.

The tool follows the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well, which means it focuses solely on table formatting and leaves other tasks like data manipulation or calculations to other dedicated tools.

Overall, tbl is a powerful command line utility that simplifies the process of formatting tables in plain text and helps in presenting data in a structured and visually pleasing way.