Text Processing
expand
Convert tabs in input to spaces.
Synopsis
syntax
expand [OPTION]... [FILE]...
Examples
Convert tabs to spaces (8-column)
expand file.txt
Convert tabs to 4-space indentation
expand -t 4 file.txt
Only convert leading tabs (preserve inline)
expand -i file.txt
Common options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| -t | Set tab stops (default 8) |
| -i | Only convert leading tabs |
About expand
The `expand` command convert tabs in input to spaces. Text processing commands transform, format, and generate text output.
Linux's philosophy of small composable tools shines here — these commands are designed to be piped together to build complex text-processing workflows. They are indispensable for scripting, log analysis, and data transformation tasks.
The command accepts 2 commonly used flags shown above, though the full set of options is available in the man page (`man expand`). The 3 examples on this page cover typical real-world usage patterns that you can copy and adapt for your own workflows.
Related commands
More Text Processing Commands
Other commands in the Text Processing category