align()

align(<widths>, <col>[, ... , <colN>[, <filler>[, <colsep>[, <rowsep>]]]])

lalign(<widths>, <colList>[, <delim>[, <filler>[, <colsep>[, <rowsep>]]]])

Creates columns of text, each column designated by <col> arguments. Each <col> is individually wrapped inside its own column, allowing for easy creation of book pages, newsletters, or the like. In lalign(), <colList> is a <delim>-separated list of the columns.

<widths> is a space-separated list of column widths. ‘10 10 10’ for the widths argument specifies that there are 3 columns, each 10 spaces wide. You can alter the behavior of a column in multiple ways. (See align columns for details.)

<filler> is a single character that, if given, is the character used to fill empty columns and remaining spaces. <colsep>, if given, is inserted between every column, on every row. <rowsep>, if given, is inserted between every line. By default, <filler> and <colsep> are a space, and <rowsep> is a newline.

Column specifications

You can modify column behavior within align(). The basic format is:

[justification]Width[options][(ansi)]

Justification

Placing one of these characters before the width alters the spacing for this column (e.g: <30). Defaults to < (left-justify).

<: left justify (the default).
-: center justify.
>: right justify.
_: full justify.
=: paragraph justify.

Options

.: repeat while another non-repeating column still has text.
`: merge with the column to the left when this column runs out of text.
': merge with the column to the right when this column runs out of text.
$: nofill; omit filler after text. Merge-left passes nofill to the left column.
x: truncate each %r-separated row instead of wrapping.
X: truncate the whole column at the end of its first row.
#: omit the column separator after this column. Merge-left passes this option to the left column.

Ansi: Place ansi characters (as defined in ansi()) within ()s to define a column’s ansi markup.

::: seealso

Basic examples

Examples:

    > &line me=align(<3 10 20$,([ljust(get(%0/sex),1,,1)]), name(%0),name(loc(%0)))
    > th iter(lwho(),u(line,##),%b,%r)
      (M) Walker     Tree
      (M) Ashen-Shug Apartment 306
          ar
      (F) Jane Doe   Nowhere

    > &line me=align(<3 10X 20X$,([ljust(get(%0/sex),1,,1)]), name(%0),name(loc(%0)))
    > th iter(lwho(),u(line,##),%b,%r)
      (M) Walker     Tree
      (M) Ashen-Shug Apartment 306
      (F) Jane Doe   Nowhere

Filler and nofill

  > th align(>15 60,Walker,Staff & Developer,x,x)
  xxxxxxxxxWalkerxStaff & Developerxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  > th align(>15 60$,Walker,Staff & Developer,x,x)
  xxxxxxxxxWalkerxStaff & Developer

Decorated layouts

    > &haiku me = Alignment function,%rIt justifies your writing,%rBut the words still suck.%rLuke

    > th [align(5 -40 5,,[repeat(-,40)]%r[u(haiku)]%r[repeat(-,40)],,%b,+)]

         +----------------------------------------+
         +          Alignment function,           +
         +       It justifies your writing,       +
         +       But the words still suck.        +
         +                  Luke                  +
         +----------------------------------------+

Column merging

  > &dropcap me=%b_______%r|__%b%b%b__|%r%b%b%b|%b|%r%b%b%b|_|
  > &story me=%r'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house%rNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.%rThe stockings were hung by the chimney with care,%rIn hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
  > th align(9'(ch) 68, u(dropcap), u(story))

   _______
  |__   __| 'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
     | |    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
     |_|    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
  In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The drop-cap T appears in cyan highlight and merges with the story column.