NAME
          gtbl - format tables for troff

     SYNOPSIS
          gtbl [ -Cv ] [ files...  ]

     DESCRIPTION
          This manual page describes the GNU version of tbl, which is
          part of the groff document formatting system.  tbl compiles
          descriptions of tables embedded within troff input files
          into commands that are understood by troff.  Normally, it
          should be invoked using the -t option of groff. It is highly
          compatible with Unix tbl.  The output generated by GNU tbl
          cannot be processed with Unix troff; it must be processed
          with GNU troff.  If no files are given on the command line,
          the standard input will be read.  A filename of - will cause
          the standard input to be read.

     OPTIONS
          -C   Recognize .TS and .TE even when followed by a character
               other than space or newline.

          -v   Print the version number.

     USAGE
          Only the differences between GNU tbl and Unix tbl are
          described here.

          Normally tbl attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the
          table by using diversions.  This can sometimes interact
          badly with macro packages' own use of diversions, when
          footnotes, for example, are used.  The nokeep option tells
          tbl not to try and prevent breaks in this way.

          The decimalpoint option specifies the character to be
          recognized as the decimal point character in place of the
          default period.  It takes an argument in parentheses, which
          must be a single character, as for the tab option.

          The f format modifier can be followed by an arbitrary length
          font name in parentheses.

          There is a d format modifier which means that a vertically
          spanning entry should be aligned at the bottom of its range.

          There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor
          any limit on the number of text blocks.  All the lines of a
          table are considered in deciding column widths, not just the
          first 200.  Table continuation (.T&) lines are not
          restricted to the first 200 lines.

          Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the same column.
          Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.

          tbl uses register, string, macro and diversion names
          beginning with 3.  When using tbl you should avoid using any
          names beginning with a 3.

     BUGS
          You should use .TS H/.TH in conjunction with a supporting
          macro package for all multi-page boxed tables.  If there is
          no header that you wish to appear at the top of each page of
          the table, place the .TH line immediately after the format
          section.  Do not enclose a multi-page table within
          keep/release macros, or divert it in any other way.

          A text block within a table must be able to fit on one page.

          The bp request cannot be used to force a page-break in a
          multi-page table.  Instead, define BP as follows

               .de BP
               .ie '\\n(.z'' .bp \\$1
               .el \!.BP \\$1
               ..

          and use BP instead of bp.

     SEE ALSO
          groff(1), gtroff(1)