TAB Function

 Action

 Moves the text cursor to a specified print position when used in the  PRINT,
  PRINT  USING,  LPRINT,  LPRINT  USING, and  PRINT  # statements.

 Syntax


 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  TAB( column%)


 Remarks

 The argument  column% is a numeric expression that is the column number of
 the new print position.

 The leftmost print position is always 1. The rightmost position is the
 current line width of the output device (which can be set with the  WIDTH
 statement).

 This is an example of using  TAB in the  PRINT function.

 PRINT  TAB(10); City$; TAB(40); State$; TAB(45); Zip$

 The behavior of  TAB depends on the relationship between three values.
 column%, the current print position on the current output line when the  TAB
 function is executed, and the current output-line width.

   -   If the current print position on the current line is greater than
       column%,  TAB skips to  column% on the next output line.

   -   If  column% is less than 1,  TAB moves the print position to column 1.

   -   If  column% is greater than the output-line width,  TAB calculates.

   -   print position =  column%  MOD width.  -   n

       If the calculated print position is less than the current print
       position, the cursor jumps to the next line at the calculated print
       position. If the calculated print position is greater than the current
       print position, the cursor moves to the calculated print position on
       the same line.


 See Also


  LPRINT,  PRINT,  SPACE$,  SPC

 Example

 In the following example  TAB is also used with the  PRINT statement to
 center a text string on an 80-column screen.

 CLS
 INPUT "What is your full name "; Name$
 PRINT
 ' Get the length of Name$, divide by 2, and subtract from screen
 ' center point.
 PRINT TAB(40 - (LEN(Name$) \ 2)); Name$
 END