Text::Format - Various subroutines to format text.

    use Text::Format;

    $text = Text::Format->new ( 
        {
            text           =>  [], # all
            columns        =>  72, # format, paragraphs, center
            leftMargin     =>   0, # format, paragraphs, center
            rightMargin    =>   0, # format, paragraphs, center
            firstIndent    =>   4, # format, paragraphs
            bodyIndent     =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            rightFill      =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            rightAlign     =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            justify        =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            extraSpace     =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            abbrevs        =>  {}, # format, paragraphs
            hangingIndent  =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            hangingText    =>  [], # format, paragraphs
            noBreak        =>   0, # format, paragraphs
            noBreakRegex   =>  {}, # format, paragraphs
            tabstop        =>   8, # expand, unexpand,  center
        }
    ); # these are the default values

    %abbr = (foo => 1, bar => 1);
    $text->abbrevs(\%abbr);
    $text->abbrevs();
    $text->abbrevs({foo => 1,bar => 1});
    $text->abbrevs(qw/foo bar/);
    $text->text(\@text);

    $text->columns(1);
    $text->tabstop(4);
    $text->extraSpace(1);
    $text->firstIndent(8);
    $text->bodyIndent(4);
    $text->config({tabstop => 4,firstIndent => 0});
    $text->rightFill(0);
    $text->rightAlign(0);

The format routine will format under all circumstances even if the width isn't enough to contain the longest words. Text::Wrap will die under these circumstances, although I am told this is fixed. If columns is set to a small number and words are longer than that and the leading 'whitespace' than there will be a single word on each line. This will let you make a simple word list which could be indented or right aligned. There is a chance for croaking if you try to subvert the module. If you don't pass in text then the internal text is worked on, though not modfied. Text::Format is meant for more powerful text formatting than Text::Wrap allows. I also have a module called Text::NWrap that is meant as a direct replacement for Text::Wrap. Text::NWrap requires Text::Format since it uses Text::Format->format to do the actual wrapping but gives you the interface of Text::Wrap.

General setup should be explained with the below graph.

                           columns
<------------------------------------------------------------>
<----------><------><---------------------------><----------->
 leftMargin  indent  text is formatted into here  rightMargin

indent is firstIndent or bodyIndent depending on where we are in the paragraph. Allows to do some advanced formatting of text into a paragraph, with indent for first line and body set separately. Can specify total width of text, right fill with spaces or right align or justify (align to both margins), right margin and left margin, non-breaking space, two spaces at end of sentence, hanging indents (tagged paragraphs). Strips all leading and trailing whitespace before proceeding. Text is first split into words and then reassembled. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. Considers each element of text as a paragraph and if the indents are the same for first line and the body then the paragraphs are separated by a single empty line otherwise they follow one under the other. If hanging indent is set then a single empty line will separate each paragraph as well. Calls format to do the actual formatting. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted, though not changed. Centers a list of strings in CW@ARRAY or internal text. Empty lines appear as, you guessed it, empty lines. Center strips all leading and trailing whitespace before proceeding. Left margin and right margin can be set. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. Expand tabs in the list of text to tabstop number of spaces in CW@ARRAY or internal text. Doesn't modify the internal text just passes back the modified text. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted. Tabstop number of spaces are turned into tabs in CW@ARRAY or internal text. Doesn't modify the internal text just passes back the modified text. If no text is passed in then the internal text in the object is formatted.

new \%HASH || NOTHING

Instantiates the object. If you pass a reference to a hash, or an anonymous hash then it's used in setting attributes.

config \%HASH

Allows the configuration of all object attributes at once. Returns the object prior to configuration. You can use it to make a clone of your object before you change attributes.

columns NUMBER || NOTHING

Set width of text or retrieve width. This is total width and includes indentation and the right and left margins.

tabstop NUMBER || NOTHING

Set tabstop size or retrieve tabstop size, only used by expand, unexpand and center.

firstIndent NUMBER || NOTHING

Set or get indent for the first line of paragraph. This is the number of spaces to indent.

bodyIndent NUMBER || NOTHING

Set or get indent for the body of paragraph. This is the number of spaces to indent.

leftMargin NUMBER || NOTHING

Set or get width of left margin. This is the number of spaces used for the margin.

rightMargin NUMBER || NOTHING

Set or get width of right margin. This is the number of spaces used for the margin.

rightFill 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Set right fill or retrieve its value. The filling is done with spaces. Keep in mind that if rightAlign is also set then both rightFill and rightAlign are ignored.

rightAlign 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Set right align or retrieve its value. Text is aligned with the right side of the margin. Keep in mind that if rightFill is also set then both rightFill and rightAlign are ignored.

justify 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Set justify or retrieve its value. Text is aligned with both margins, adding extra spaces as necessary to align text with left and right margins. Keep in mind that if either of rightAlign or rightFill are set then justify is ignored, even if both are set in which case they are all ignored.

text \@ARRAY || NOTHING

Pass in a reference to your text, or an anonymous array of text that you want the routines to manipulate. Returns the text held in the object.

hangingIndent 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Use hanging indents in front of a paragraph, returns current value of attribute. This is also called a tagged paragraph.

hangingText \@ARRAY || NOTHING

The text that will be displayed in front of each paragraph, if you call format then only the first element is used, if you call paragraphs then paragraphs cycles through all of them. If you have more paragraphs than elements in your array than the remainder of the paragraphs will not have a hanging indented text. Pass a reference to your array. This is also called a tagged paragraph.

noBreak 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Set whether you want to use the non-breaking space feature.

noBreakRegex \%HASH || NOTHING

Pass in a reference to your hash that would hold the regexes on which not to break. Returns the hash. eg.

    {'^Mrs?\.$' => '^\S+$','^\S+$' => '^(?:S|J)r\.$'}

don't break names such as Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Jones Jr. The breaking algorithm is simple. If there should not be a break at the current end of sentence, then a backtrack is done till there are two words on which breaking is allowed. If no two such words are found then the end of sentence is broken anyhow. If there is a single word on current line then no backtrack is done and the word is stuck on the end. This is so you can make a list of names for example.

extraSpace 0 || 1 || NOTHING

Add extra space after end of sentence, normally format would add 1 space after end of sentence, if this is set to 1 then 2 spaces are used. Abbreviations are not followed by two spaces. There are a few internal abbreviations and you can add your own to the object with abbrevs Add to the current abbreviations, takes a reference to your hash or an array of abbreviations, if called a second time the original reference is removed and replaced by the new one. Returns the current INTERNAL abbreviations.

    use Text::Format;

    $text = new Text::Format;
    $text->rightFill(1);
    $text->columns(6);
    $text->tabstop(4);
    print $text->format("a line to format to an indented regular
            paragraph using 65 character wide display");
    print $text->paragraphs("paragraph one","paragraph two");
    print $text->center("hello world","nifty line 2");
    print $text->expand("\t\thello world\n","hmm,\twell\n");
    print $text->unexpand("    hello world\n","    hmm");
    $text->config({columns => 132, tabstop => 4});

    $text = Text::Format->new();
    print $text->format(@text);
    print $text->paragraphs(@text);
    print $text->center(@text);
    print $text->format([<FILEHANDLE>]);
    print $text->format([$fh->getlines()]);
    print $text->paragraphs([<FILEHANDLE>]);
    print $text->expand(@text);
    print $text->unexpand(@text);

    $text = Text::Format->new
        ({tabstop => 4,bodyIndent => 4,text => \@text});
    print $text->format();
    print $text->paragraphs();
    print $text->center();
    print $text->expand();
    print $text->unexpand();

    print Text::Format->new({columns => 95})->format(@text);

Line length can exceed columns specified if columns is set to a small number and long words plus leading whitespace exceed column length specified. Actually I see this as a feature since it can be used to make up a nice word list.

Gabor Egressy gabor@vmunix.com

Copyright (c) 1998 Gabor Egressy. All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed. This program is free software; you can redistribute and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

Tom Phoenix found bug with code for two spaces at end of sentence and provided code fragment for a better solution, some preliminary suggestions on design

Brad Appleton suggesting and explanation of hanging indents, suggestion for non-breaking whitespace, general suggestions with regard to interface design

Byron Brummer suggestion for better interface design and object design, code for better implementation of getting abbreviations

H. Merijn Brand suggestion for justify feature and original code for doing the justification. I changed the code to take into account the extra space at end of sentence feature.