GNU bug report logs - #11044
RFE: fmt goal width

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From: Bruce Korb <bruce.korb <at> gmail.com>
To: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 11044 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#11044: bug & RFE
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:07:39 -0700

The "T" crossings and "I" dottings ... I did the icky thing anyway.


diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi
index 835c245..a9dabc4
--- a/doc/coreutils.texi
+++ b/doc/coreutils.texi
@@ -2133,7 +2133,7 @@ These commands reformat the contents of files.
 a given number of characters (75 by default).  Synopsis:

 @example
-fmt [@var{option}]@dots{} [@var{file}]@dots{}
+fmt [@var{option}]@dots{} [@var{goal} [@var{width}]] [@var{file}]@dots{}
 @end example

 @command{fmt} reads from the specified @var{file} arguments (or standard
@@ -2144,6 +2144,13 @@ preserved in the output; successive input lines with different
 indentation are not joined; tabs are expanded on input and introduced on
 output.

+@var{goal} and @var{width} are only recognized if neither
+@var{-g}/@var{--goal} nor @var{-w}/@var{--width} have been specified; and if
+the strings represent numbers; and if the numbers do not exceed about 2,500;
+and if these strings do not match existing file names.  If @var{goal} is
+provided but @var{width} not, then @var{width} will be set to @var{goal}
+plus 10.
+
 @cindex line-breaking
 @cindex sentences and line-breaking
 @cindex Knuth, Donald E.
@@ -2203,9 +2210,16 @@ between sentences to two spaces.
 @opindex -@var{width}
 @opindex -w
 @opindex --width
-Fill output lines up to @var{width} characters (default 75).  @command{fmt}
-initially tries to make lines about 7% shorter than this, to give it
-room to balance line lengths.
+Fill output lines up to @var{width} characters (default 75).
+
+@item -@var{goal}
+@itemx -g @var{goal}
+@itemx --goal=@var{goal}
+@opindex -@var{goal}
+@opindex -g
+@opindex --goal
+@command{fmt} initially tries to make lines @var{goal} characters wide.
+By default, this is 7% shorter than @var{width}.

 @item -p @var{prefix}
 @itemx --prefix=@var{prefix}

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