If you write text files often you may have found yourself frustrated
editing your file if it contained columns. Now there is a utility that will
take an ascii file and process it into two columns. To use this utility add
this line to your login.com:

$ col*umn :== $ utl$exe:2col

	To use the utility, edit your ascii text file and include the
appropriate commands (see below). I suggest using EDT or TPU since it appears
re-editing an ascii file in WORDMARC is a pain. I mention re-editing because
you may want to go back to your text file and touch it up after you process it
thru the utility.

	All commands should be preceded by a carriage return and followed by a
space. No more than one carriage return is allowed between column commands.
There are just a few commands in two catagories: 1) column commands and
2) formating commands. 

   The column commands are:
       {L        put following text in the Left column.
       {R        put following text in the Right column.
       {N        treat text as is [default].
       }         end the current column.

   The formating commands are:
       {CL  set left margin by  [default = 0].
       {CR  set beginning right column by  [default = 40].
       {CR  set right margin by  [default = 80].
       {S   set spacing between columns by  [default = 5].
       {P   set spacing between paragraphs by  [default = 1].

	Process your text file after you have typed in the appropriate
commands by typing:

	$ column

at the '$' prompt. When you run the utility it will prompt you for your input
file. The output file will be the same name as your input file but with the
extension:  .2COL.  You can also indicate your input file and your output file
on the commandline like this: 

	$ column  infile.txt  outfile.2col

The default extensions are: .TXT for the input file and .2COL for the output
file.


	There is also help available on how to use this utility. Just type:

	$ column ?

And the list of commands will appear. Or you can contact me if you have
problems. 

	There are no guarantees with this utility, and if you do something
wrong it will just usually blow up. But it is much easier to use then trying
to format 2 columns in an editor.



- brad -