File: groff.info,  Node: Fields,  Prev: Leaders,  Up: Tabs and Fields

5.12.2 Fields
-------------

"Fields" are a more general way of laying out tabular data.  A field is
defined as the data between a pair of "delimiting characters".  It
contains substrings that are separated by "padding characters".  The
width of a field is the distance on the _input_ line from the position
where the field starts to the next tab stop.  A padding character
inserts an adjustable space similar to TeX's '\hss' command (thus it can
even be negative) to make the sum of all substring lengths plus the
adjustable space equal to the field width.  If more than one padding
character is inserted, the available space is evenly distributed among
them.

 -- Request: .fc [delim-char [padding-char]]
     Define a delimiting and a padding character for fields.  If the
     latter is missing, the padding character defaults to a space
     character.  If there is no argument at all, the field mechanism is
     disabled (which is the default).  In contrast to, e.g., the tab
     repetition character, delimiting and padding characters are _not_
     associated with the environment (*note Environments::).

          .fc # ^
          .ta T 3i
          #foo^bar^smurf#
          .br
          #foo^^bar^smurf#
              => foo         bar          smurf
              => foo            bar       smurf