basic column command

basics/column.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+title: "column"
+tags: [ "basics", "format", "json" ]
+---
+
+Put output into column.
+
+```bash
+du -h /etc/* | column
+```
+
+Reformat file with an explicit separator (`-s`):
+
+```bash
+column -ts: /etc/passwd
+```
+
+Give columns names (`-N`), so you can hide some (`-H`):
+
+```bash
+column -ts: -N User,PW,UID,GID,Description,Home,shell -H PW,GID /etc/passwd
+```
+
+Reorder with `-O` (unspecified items remain):
+
+
+```bash
+column -ts: -N User,PW,UID,GID,Description,Home,shell -H PW,GID -O User,Description,shell /etc/passwd 
+```
+
+Output to json format with `-J`:
+
+```bash
+column -J -ts: -H PW,GID,shell -N User,PW,UID,GID,Description,Home,shell /etc/passwd
+```
+