Line length utility
len is a small utility that counts line lengths from text files. Its behavior on other file types is undefined and probably not very nice.
By default, len does not produce any output on stdout or stderr unless examining multiple files.
When piping output from len to less, be sure to specify -r with less if you want colors to be displayed properly.
Feel free to glance at the floppy noodle that is the source code - I've tried to leave helpful comments, but those can only go so far.
len [OPTIONS] {FILES,-}
Specify - in place of a filename to read from stdin. - should appear at most once.
make
len does not impose itself by attempting to place an executable somewhere
like /usr/bin/. len trusts you to place it where it needs to be.
I suggest either placing the executable or a symlink to it in ${HOME}/bin/
if you're on a Linux system.
**-m, --max** `MAX_LINE_LENGTH`
Set the upper limit of line lengths. This cannot be negative or less than the lower limit, described below.
Default: 80
-M, --min MIN_LINE_LENGTH
Set the lower limit for line lengths. This cannot exceed the upper limit.
Default: 1
-t, --tab-width TAB_WIDTH
Set the number of spaces a tab character is interpreted as, respecting tab stops.
Default: 8
-p, --print-offenders
Print lines that do not meet line length criteria. When multiple files are specified, lines are reported in sections with filename headers in the format --|FILENAME|--. Can be specified with -P to print all lines from all files.
-P, --print-matches
Print lines that meet line length criteria. When multiple files are specified, lines are reported with filename headers in the format --|FILENAME|--. Can be specified with -p to print all lines from all files.
-n, --line-numbers
Prefix lines with line numbers.
-c, --color
Turns on color.
-r, --truncate
Truncate longlines longer than MAX_LINE_LENGTH to a length of MAX_LINE_LENGTH and postfixes them with +.
-l, --line-lengths
Prefix lines with their length.
-N, --count-newlines
Include newlines when calculating line length. Note that all newline sequences (\n, \r, \r\n) are converted to a single newline character \n. When specified with -c or --color, colors change one character earlier, so that the correct number of characters are colored. For example, if the newline is the 81st character in the line and MAX_LINE_LENGTH is 80, the 80th character will be colored. Off by default.
-i, --invert-colors
Causes -c to color backgrounds instead of the text.
-a, --alternate-colors
Requires -c or --color. Causes filenames to be displayed in two alternating colors. These colors can be changed via --file-color, --file-color-alt, and --file-colors, explained below.
--file-color COLOR
Set the primary filename color to COLOR. Default is cyan. Used only when printing filename headers.
--file-color-alt COLOR
Set the secondary filename color to COLOR. Default is magenta. Used only when printing filename headers with alternating colors (-a or --alternate-colors).
--file_colors PRIMARY SECONDARY
Implies -a. Equivalent to -a --file-color PRIMARY --file-color-alt SECONDARY.
--set-bad COLOR
Sets the color for out-of-tolerance portions of lines to COLOR. Default is red.
--set-good COLOR
Sets the color for in-tolerance portions of lines to COLOR. Default is green.
--set-colors GOOD BAD
Equivalent to --set-good GOOD --set-bad BAD.
-h, --help
Display help and exit
`len` handles the following (case sensitive) colors: * red * green * yellow * blue * magenta * cyan * white
`len` will expand tabs as far as the next tabstop, where tabstops are defined as places where the number of characters processed is a nonzero multiple of the tab width.
`len` returns 0 when all lines inspected had lengths within the specified/default range. `len` returns 1 when at least one line inspected had a length outside the specified/default range.
Other return values are as follows:
- 100: Cannot combine options that require arguments
- 101: Unrecognized option
- 102: Unable to allocate sufficient memory
- 103: Could not open specified file
- 104: Missing an argument to an option
- 105: No options or arguments given