fmt(1)

NAME

fmt - simple optimal text formatter

SYNOPSIS

fmt [-WIDTH] [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION

Reformat each paragraph in the FILE(s), writing to standard output. The option -WIDTH is an abbreviated form of --width=DIGITS.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

-c, --crown-margin

preserve indentation of first two lines

-p, --prefix=STRING

reformat only lines beginning with STRING, reattaching the prefix to reformatted lines

-s, --split-only

split long lines, but do not refill

-t, --tagged-paragraph

indentation of first line different from second

-u, --uniform-spacing

one space between words, two after sentences

-w, --width=WIDTH

maximum line width (default of 75 columns)

-g, --goal=WIDTH

goal width (default of 93% of width)

--help

display this help and exit

--version

output version information and exit

AUTHOR

Written by Ross Paterson.

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
Report any translation bugs to: <https://translationproject.org/team/>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/fmt>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) fmt invocation'