fmt command

UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
1

Hello,

I have file which needs to be splitted into multiple line with each line holding 80 bytes.

Im using the fmt command as

fmt -w 80 {filename} > {out filename}

but getting the error

fmt: Too many characters in a word.

Thanks

2

As the message says it seems there is a word that has more than 80 characters. Looking at its man page, fmt is for formatting a paragraph so that words in it are arranged to some width for example. It does not cut words/strings appart.
I have currently no easy solution in mind but I guess someone will come up with one soon, sorry.

3

what language then words longer then 80 characters?
may be eny adress as www.unix.com/aa/aaa/aaa/aaa/aaa/aaaa/aaaa/aaa/aaaa/aaaa/aaa is in you text?
what do with it?
Why you say "bytes" not "80 characters"? lenght of you character code is 8 bit?

4

Sorry, I need 80 characters in a line, irrespective of the word length so that i want to bring the 81 character to the next line.

Is there any command other than fmt, or is there any options in fmt to achieve this.

Thanks,
Bharath.S

5

try:
fold <input_file >output_file

6

Great! it worked thanks for the suggestion.

Cheers...

7

Simlar to a question yesterday.

http://www.unix.com/shell-programming-scripting/142160-how-organise-file.html

9

fold -w 80 {filename} > {out filename}