.TH listtotable "" "" "/rdb Command"
.PC "Convert from list to table format"
\fBlisttotable  [ \-el ] < \fIlistfile\fR
.PP
.II "list^convert to table"
.II "table^from list"
.II "convert list to table"
.B listtotable
converts a file in list format to table format.
Some
.B /rdb
programs must see files in table format,
so the conversion is necessary.
.PP
In addition, table-formatted files are processed faster than
list-formatted files.
Any time you send a list-formatted file through a pipe of two
or more programs, even if they can handle list format, convert
them to table format so that the programs
in the pipe will run two or three times faster on average.
.PP
The reason that table-formatted files run so much faster
is that a list file is often two or three times larger
than a table because of the repeated column names.
Therefore, when handling list-formatted files, the programs
have to process two or three times as many characters.
.SH Options
.B listtotable
recognizes the following options:
.IP \fB\-e\fR 0.3i
Expand each column to next tab stop.
Ordinarily, table columns heads are only as wide as list column heads.
.IP \fB\-l\fR
No head line in the list file.
This option makes it possible to convert and sometimes
use the older list-formatted files.
.sp \n(pDu
Earlier versions of
.B /rdb
did not require the leading newline in the list-formatted file; however,
this requirement was added by later editions of
.B /rdb
to make it easy for its commands to distinguish a list file from a table.
.SH "List and Table-Format Rules"
List format looks like this:
.DM
Number  1
Name    Ronald McDonald
Company McDonald's
Street  123 Mac Attack
City    Memphis
State   TENN
ZIP     30000
Phone   (111) 222-3333
.DE
.DM
Number  2
Name    Chiquita  Banana
Company United Brands
Street  Uno Avenido de la Reforma
City    San Jose
State   Costa Rica
ZIP     123456789
Phone   1234
 ...
.DE
.PP
Remember there are three rules for constructing a list-format file:
.IP \fB1.\fR 0.3i
The
first character in the file is a newline.
Be sure that there are no
unseen spaces, tabs, or nonprinting characters on the first
line, or things will get quite messed up.
.IP \fB2.\fR
Each line consists of two columns separated by a tab.
The first column is gives the column's
name, and the second column gives its values. 
.IP \fB3.\fR
A newline character follows each
.I row
(record).
.PP
And there are three rules for contructing a table, as follows:
.IP \fB1.\fR 0.3i
One tab between each column in a row, and a newline at the end.
.IP \fB2.\fR
Name of the column at the top of the column, in the first line of the file.
.IP \fB3.\fR
A dash line as the second line in the file.
.SH Example
The command
.DM
	listtotable < maillist
.DE
.PP
converts list file
.B maillist
into table format.
The result appears as follows:
.DM
Number  Name    Company Street  City    State   ZIP     Phone
------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
1       Ronald McDonald McDonald's      123 Mac Attack  Memphis
TENN    30000   (111) 222-3333
2       Chiquita  Banana        United Brands   Uno Avenito De La
Revolution      San Jose        Costa Rica      123456789       1234
.DE
.PP
When you look at this messy table,
you can see the need for list format.
The information in each column is often too wide for the screen and
wraps around to the next line.
.SH "See Also"
.B
tabletolist
.R
.SH Notes
If you use this command with a table instead of a list file, you
will see a mess.