# phpman > man > fmt(1)

> **TLDR:** Reformat a text file by joining its paragraphs and limiting the line width to a number of characters (75 by default).
>
- Reformat a file:
  `fmt {{path/to/file}}`
- Reformat a file producing output lines of (at most) `n` characters:
  `fmt {{-w|--width}} {{n}} {{path/to/file}}`
- Reformat a file without joining lines shorter than the given width together:
  `fmt {{-s|--split-only}} {{path/to/file}}`
- Reformat a file with uniform spacing (1 space between words and 2 spaces between paragraphs):
  `fmt {{-u|--uniform-spacing}} {{path/to/file}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[FMT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/FMT/1/markdown)                                      User Commands                                     [FMT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/FMT/1/markdown)



## 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
              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
              maximum line width (default of 75 columns)

### -g --goal
              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
       GNU coreutils online help: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>>
       Report any translation bugs to <<https://translationproject.org/team/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2020 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'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                      [FMT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/FMT/1/markdown)