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Version: 3.1.X

Visual Formatting & Layout

These commands control how the data is presented on the screen, manage whitespace, and allow the inclusion of external content.

Modes (Case Conversion)​

See also: mode command

  • mpl (Mode Proof Lower): Does not convert case (Proof mode).
  • mpu (Mode Proof Upper): Converts output to UPPERCASE.
  • mhl (Mode Heading Lower): Standard heading mode (sorting), keeps case.
  • mhu (Mode Heading Upper): Heading mode, converts to UPPERCASE.

Spacing & Newlines​

/ - Unconditional Newline​

Forces a carriage return / line break immediately.

  • Syntax: /

# - Conditional Newline​

Inserts a new line only if the previous line is not blank. Prevents multiple blank lines.

  • Syntax: #

% - Reset Blank Line​

Resets the blank line counter logic, ensuring the next conditional newline (#) works as expected even at the start of output.

  • Syntax: %

newline - Set Newline String​

Changes the character sequence used for line breaks. Extremely useful for web output where you want <BR> instead of a standard text line break.

  • Syntax: newline(Format)
  • Example: 
    /* Use HTML breaks */
    newline('<br>')

    /* Restore standard CR/LF */
    newline(if v1='unix' then '\n' else '\r\n' fi)

x - Space​

Inserts N spaces.

  • Syntax: xN
  • Example: v10, x5, v20 (inserts 5 spaces between fields)

Literals​

'...' - Unconditional Literal​

Text enclosed in single or double quotes is always displayed.

  • Syntax: 'Text' or "Text"

|...| - Conditional Literal​

Text enclosed in pipes is displayed only if the immediately preceding field was present (not empty).

  • Syntax: v10 | -- |
  • Usage: Useful for separators.

+ and * - Repeatable Literals​

Used within repeatable groups.

  • +: Suffix. Displayed after the field if present.
  • *: Prefix. Displayed before the field if present.

Alignment & Layout​

c - Column​

Moves the cursor to a specific column position.

  • Syntax: cN
  • Example: c20 (move to column 20)

lw - Line Width​

Sets the maximum line width for wrapping.

  • Syntax: lw(N)

Content Inclusion​

cat - Dump File​

Outputs the content of an external file directly into the format stream. It is widely used in ABCD to include HTML headers, footers, or standard templates.

  • Syntax: cat(FilenameFormat)
  • Example: 
    cat('header.html'),
    v10,
    cat('footer.html')