COLUMN(1) COLUMN(1) (NAME) column - (SYNOPSIS) column [] [ ...] (DESCRIPTION) column . : ( ). -x, --fillrows . . -t/--table . ( --output-width ). --table-* . . x . (OPTIONS) columns --table-* --table-columns name1,name2,... ( ) --table-column . . '0' ( -R0) '-1' ( -R -1) . '1-5' . -J, --json JSON . --table-columns --table-name . -c, --output-width width . width . . . unlimited ( 0) . . ( --columns . .) -d, --table-noheadings . . -o, --output-separator string ( ). -s, --input-separator, --separator separators ( ). -S, --use-spaces number (tabulator) . . -t, --table . --output-separator . . --table-colorscheme name . "column" . (COLORS) . -C, --table-column attributes . . --table-* : --table-column name=FOO,right . -N/--table-columns . : name=string . trunc . --table-truncate . . tree . --tree . right . --table-right . width=number . . strictwidth . . strictwidth width= . . noextremes . --table-noextreme . hidden . --table-hide . wrap . . --table-wrap . wrapnl . wrapzero (NUL) . json=type JSON. string number float array-string array-number boolean. color=name . name (black, blink, blue, bold, brown, cyan, darkgray, gray, green, halfbright, lightblue, lightcyan, lightgray, lightgreen, lightmagenta, lightred, magenta, red, reset, reverse yellow) ANSI 'ESC[' 'm' . "37;41" . (COLORS) . colorkey=name . --table-colorscheme . headercolor=name color= . headercolorkey=name . --table-colorscheme . -N, --table-columns names . . --table-column . -l, --table-columns-limit number . . -R, --table-right columns . -T, --table-truncate columns . -E, --table-noextreme columns . . . -e, --table-header-repeat . -K, --table-header-as-columns . --table-columns --table-column . -W, --table-wrap columns . . --wrap-separator . . --wrap-separator string string . . (--table-wrap ). | . -H, --table-hide columns . '-' (--table-columns ). -O, --table-order columns . -n, --table-name name JSON. "table" . -m, --table-maxout . -L, --keep-empty-lines . . --table-empty-lines . -r, --tree column . . -i, --tree-id column - . -p, --tree-parent column - . -x, --fillrows . --color[=when] . when auto never always . when auto . --help . (COLORS) . -h, --help . -V, --version . (COLORS) terminal-colors.d(5) . /etc/terminal-colors.d/column.disable column /etc/terminal-colors.d/disable . . $NO_COLOR . $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/terminal-colors.d $HOME/.config/terminal-colors.d (override) . terminal-colors.d . "column" : --table-colorscheme name name[.disable|enable|scheme] /etc/terminal-colors.d/ $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/terminal-colors.d $HOME/.config/terminal-colors.d/ . () colorkey= headercolorkey= . : echo 'important red' > ~/.config/terminal-colors.d/cooltable.scheme echo 'important-header 37;41' >> ~/.config/terminal-colors.d/cooltable.scheme echo -e "a b c\naa bb cc\naaa bbb ccc" | column -t \ --table-colorscheme=cooltable \ -C name=AAA,colorkey=important,headercolorkey=important-header \ -C name=BBB,color=magenta,headercolor=cyan \ -C name=CCC,color=green "cooltable" . . (ENVIRONMENT) COLUMNS . LIBSMARTCOLS_DEBUG=all libsmartcols . LIBSMARTCOLS_DEBUG_PADDING=on (padding) . (HISTORY) column 4.3BSD-Reno . (BUGS) . -s (non-greedy) : printf "a:b:c\n1::3\n" | column -t -s ':' : a b c 1 3 ( util-linux 2.23): a b c 1 3 " " -x . ( ). column . (EXAMPLES) fstab : sed 's/#.*//' /etc/fstab | column --table --table-columns SOURCE,TARGET,TYPE,OPTIONS,FREQ,PASS --table-right FREQ,PASS fstab : sed 's/#.*//' /etc/fstab | column --table --table-columns SOURCE,TARGET,TYPE --table-hide - : echo -e '1 0 A\n2 1 AA\n3 1 AB\n4 2 AAA\n5 2 AAB' | column --tree-id 1 --tree-parent 2 --tree 3 1 0 A 2 1 |-AA 4 2 | |-AAA 5 2 | `-AAB 3 1 `-AB : echo -e 'Name:Description\nJohn:A|software|developer\nJane:A|data|scientist' | column --table --separator ':' --table-wrap 2 --wrap-separator '|' Name Description John A software developer Jane A data scientist (SEE ALSO) colrm(1), ls(1), paste(1), sort(1) (REPORTING BUGS) . (AVAILABILITY) column util-linux . util-linux 2.42.3 2026-09-02 COLUMN(1)