asa -- interpret ASA/FORTRAN carriage control

asa interpret ASA/FORTRAN carriage control	Command

Historically, print-outs created by ASA/FORTRAN programs use the first character of each line to control the spacing between that line and the previous one. For example, if the first character is a space, the rest of that line immediately follows the previous line; if it is a 1, that line should begin on a new page, and so on.

asa reads input in this format and writes it out in a normal text format, using newlines, formfeeds, and carriage returns to achieve the same effects as the ASA/FORTRAN carriage control characters.

If you specify files on the command line, asa reads input from these files; otherwise, it reads the standard input. asa writes output to the standard output.

This utility does not copy newline characters in the input to the output. Instead, it uses the first character of each line to determine how to print the rest of the line. asa interprets the first character as follows.

Space: outputs the rest of the line without change.
0: outputs a newline character before printing line.
1: outputs a formfeed (start a new page) sequence before printing line.
+: outputs a carriage return sequence so that line is output over the previous line. If + starts the first line, it is treated as a space.