View source for Columns, Numbers

<noinclude>{{manversion|6.0.0.16|feature}}__NOTOC__</noinclude>
====Columns, Numbers... (Alt+Ctrl+Y)====

Cuts portions of {{defined|lines}} from the selection and replaces the old {{defined|lines}} with new generated {{defined|lines}} according to given {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}}. The {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}} may contain any text, which is duplicated to every new generated line, and may include these special variables, which are computed on the fly and have the following purpose:
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%0}} &mdash; inserts a copy of the entire original line.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}} - {{field|Columns, Numbers|%9}} &mdash; inserts a line portion, cut from the original line according to rules specified in corresponding tab. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%d}} &mdash; inserts a decimal number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%x}} &mdash; inserts a lower case hexadecimal number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%X}} &mdash; inserts an upper case hexadecimal number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%b}} &mdash; inserts a binary number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%o}} &mdash; inserts an octal number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%r}} &mdash; inserts a random number from the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Random}} number generator. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%l0}} &mdash; inserts length, in characters, of the original line.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%l1}} - {{field|Columns, Numbers|%l9}} &mdash; inserts length of a line portion, cut from the original line according to rules specified in corresponding tab. See below.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%n}} &mdash; inserts a newline. Note: This variable results in generating sequence of multiple lines for each of the input lines.
* {{field|Columns, Numbers|%%}} &mdash; inserts a single ''%'' character. Note: Since ''%'' character is used to prefix variables, doubled ''%%'' must be used in order to place plain ''%'' into the results. Note: Using a simple ''%'' character, not followed by a recognized variable, is considered an error in the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}} to prevent possible inconvenience from future improvements of the tool.. ;)

All variables (except {{field|Columns, Numbers|%n}}) may be supplied an aligning specifier. Aligning specifier must appear directly after the ''%'' prefix character. It is used to align values of the variable into a neat fixed-width column. Width of such column is determined by examining the variable for all lines and taking the longest length. Aligning specifier may be one of the following:
* '''<''' &mdash; aligns the variable to the left, using spaces to fill the shorter lines from right.
* '''!''' &mdash; aligns the variable to the center, using spaces to fill the shorter lines from both sides.
* '''>''' &mdash; aligns the variable to the right, using spaces to fill the shorter lines from left.
* '''+''' &mdash; aligns the variable to the right, using zeros to fill the shorter lines from left.

Note: Aligning a variable into a fixed-width column does not necessarily guarantee a neat visual column in the results. There are two reasons for having the column scattered in the results:
* If proportional font is used for text displaying, it may render different characters with different extents, resulting in different visual positions of respective character positions.
* If multiple variables are used in the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}}, all of them should include an aligning specifier to ensure nothing else but neat aligned columns in the results. This is because variable alignment is computed separately for each variable, and is thus insensitive to other portions of currently generated line. Therefore, if one variable results in a non-fixed-width column, there is no guaranteed way to ensure further visual column alignment (although variables themselves would continue to get ''aligned'' neatly into ''their own private columns'').

Some variables require a {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}} to be defined. The tool uses {{field|Columns, Numbers|Start}} number to initialize the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}} before processing the selection. Then, for each line of the selection, increments the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}} by a {{field|Columns, Numbers|Step}}.

Note: {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}} always produces the same number for the same line, even if used multiple times per line.

Some variables require a {{field|Columns, Numbers|Random}} number generator. The generator produces decimal numbers between {{field|Columns, Numbers|Min}} and {{field|Columns, Numbers|Max}} (inclusive) every time a variable requires a random number.

Note: Unlike {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}}, {{field|Columns, Numbers|Random}} number generator produces a different number each time it is used, even if used multiple times for the same line.

Note: {{field|Columns, Numbers|Random}} number generator expects the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Min}} to be less than {{field|Columns, Numbers|Max}}. If {{field|Columns, Numbers|Min}} is greater or equal to {{field|Columns, Numbers|Max}}, numbers between 0 and 4294967295 are generated.

{{:Random generator warning}}

Optionally, {{field|Columns, Numbers|Modify non-empty lines only}} can be used to keep all {{defined|empty lines}} intact by this tool.

Note: The {{field|Columns, Numbers|Preview}} option can be used to toggle on/off {{field|Columns, Numbers|Preview pane}}. {{field|Columns, Numbers|Preview pane}} shows a small portion of lines transformed by values currently set in the tool dialog. Be aware that preview is always generated from the current selection. If there is no selection, then there is nothing to preview. Also, since only a small portion of the selection is used for preview, alignment of columns is computed for that portion only (excluding the rest of the selection), which may result in ''shorter'' lines.

=====Cutting line portion=====

{{:Cutting line portion}}

=====Examples=====

{{todo|proof-read and fix}}

{{example_start}}Example:
{{example_body}}
No;Name;Race;Age
1;Amy;labrador;4
2;Konie;bordercollie;3
3;Kvido;mongrel;2
{{example_end}}

======Simple numbering======

Example of a simple numbering {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}}: {{string|%+d, %1}}. This mask will cut a line portion (specified for variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}}) from each line and place it in the results after a decimal number, colon and a space. The numbers will be neatly aligned to the right by leading zeroes where necessary, in order to have the same count of digits.

{{example_start}}The variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}} cuts the third column (columns separated by {{string|;}}) and the {{field|Columns, Numbers|Counter}} is set to {{field|Columns, Numbers|Start}}: {{string|1}} and {{field|Columns, Numbers|Step}}: {{string|1}}:
{{example_body}}
1, Race
2, labrador
3, bordercollie
4, mongrel
{{example_end}}

======Columnizing trick======

Example of a ''columnizing'' {{field|Columns, Numbers|Output mask}}: {{string|%<1 <nowiki>|</nowiki> %2}}. If variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}} cuts the first line column, and the variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%2}} cuts the rest of the line, this mask can be used to visually ''columnize'' the list from the example above. This is done by aligning the variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}} (first column) to the left, adding a glue like {{string|<nowiki> | </nowiki>}}, and then appending the rest of the line. Since this would ''columnize'' only the first column, you need to invoke this tool several times in a row, until all columns are transformed. The main reason to do it this way is that it can ''columnize'' quite many columns very quickly once this is set up correctly.

Note: Make sure you do not use the same delimiter for new columns that you used for old columns. Doing so would result in ''columnizing'' the first column over and over again. The main idea in this trick is to make the tool work thru old columns, converting them into new columns. The tool should not confuse new and old columns. In this example the old columns are delimited by {{string|;}} and new columns by {{string|<nowiki> | </nowiki>}}, which are mutually exclusive as required.

{{example_start}}The variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%1}} cuts column 1 (columns separated by {{string|;}}), variable {{field|Columns, Numbers|%2}} cuts columns 2-4 (separated by {{string|;}} as well). After using this tool for 3 times:
{{example_body}}
No | Name  | Race         | Age
1  | Amy   | labrador     | 4
2  | Konie | bordercollie | 3
3  | Kvido | mongrel      | 2
{{example_end}}

Note: The above example only works for aligning to the left. If you want to align to the right, you can do it by ''columnizing'' backwards, from the last column to the first (i.e. the idea of working thru columns is reversed). There is no way to center the columns this way (though you can always cut each column separately into a different variable and then specify a mask, which enumerates all the variables).

{{tip}} Note: The {{field|Settings:Tools|Persistent selection}} setting might come handy for this technique. See chapter [[Tools page]] of the {{dialog|Settings}} dialog for more details.