expand

Convert tabs to spaces, write the contents of each given FILE, to standard output, with tab characters converted to the appropriate number of spaces. If no FILE is given, or for a FILE of `-', write to standard input

SYNTAX
      expand [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
By default, expand converts all tabs to spaces.  It preserves
backspace characters in the output; they decrement the column count for
tab calculations.  
The default action is equivalent to `-8' (set tabs every 8 columns).

OPTIONS

`-TAB1[,TAB2]...'
`-t TAB1[,TAB2]...'
`--tabs=TAB1[,TAB2]...'
     If only one tab stop is given, set the tabs TAB1 spaces apart
     (default is 8).  Otherwise, set the tabs at columns TAB1, TAB2,
     ... (numbered from 0), and replace any tabs beyond the last
     tabstop given with single spaces.  If the tabstops are specified
     with the `-t' or `--tabs' option, they can be separated by blanks
     as well as by commas.

`-i'
`--initial'
     Only convert initial tabs (those that precede all non-space or
     non-tab characters) on each line to spaces.

"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen." - Lee Iacocca, Chairman, Chrysler Motors

Related commands:

cut - Divide a file into several parts
expr - Evaluate expressions
fmt - Reformat paragraph text
grep - Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
tr - Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
unexpand - Convert spaces to tabs
uuencode - Encode a binary file