Hi TIMTOWTDI,

I am a little lost trying to figure out how your script works.

I read Perl #sprintf FORMAT, LIST and could not understand how your "format STDOUT" works. Can you explain it? The Perldocs I read do not have the format you presented here for your script

Say, if I were to "left-justify" each column, how can I add the "-" to your "format STDOUT" statement and be left-justified? Also, how to manipulate the spacing in between columns?

I's like the table to look like this below, perhaps, I can understand your format statement works if I see it...maybe?

 
MM_STD_gate                 152.401574     -22.047244   mils          
                            3871.000000    -560.000000  microns
RFN_a                       337.244094     0.787402     mils          
                            8566.000000    20.000000    microns
RFN_b                       366.181102     0.787402     mils          
                            9301.000000    20.000000    microns
RFN_c                       376.929133     0.787402     mils          
                            9574.000000    20.000000    microns
RFLR                        366.181102     -10.6299921  mils          
                            9301.000000    -270.000000  microns
MM_STD2_gate                259.488188     -22.047244   mils          
                            6591.000000    -560.000000  microns
RBASE_right_2               -366.181102    -33.464566   mils 
                            -9301.000000   -850.000000  microns
[download]

This is your code below with the edit to allow a longer string for the 1st column

#!/usr/bin/env perl
use strict;
use warnings;

my @fields;

# For the longer 1st Column name, I added some more spaces so it won't
+ concat the name. NOt sure how the left-justify can be done with this
+ format STDOUT statement? 
format STDOUT =
@<<<<<<<<<<<<  -@#####.###### @####.###### @<<<<<<
@fields
.

while (my $line = <DATA>) {
    chomp $line;
    @fields = split /\s+/, $line, 4;
    unshift @fields, ' ' if 4 > @fields;
    write;
}

# All four columns should be left-justified and should line up whether
+ it is a positive or negative number.  


__DATA__
MM_STD_gate -61.771653             -45.472441      mils   
  -1569.000000           -1155.000000       microns
RFN_a                    -91.102362              68.307087      mils  
+ 
                    -2314.000000            1735.000000       microns
RFN_b                    -62.165354              68.307087      mils  
+ 
-1579.000000            1735.000000      microns
RFN_c                    -51.417322              68.307087      mils  
+ 
                              -1306.000000            1735.000000     
+  microns
MM_STD2_gate          259.488188     -22.047244    mils   
                      6591.000000        -560.000000    microns
RBASE_right_2                366.181102     -33.464566    mils   
                      9301.000000        -850.000000    microns
[download]