Setting Tab Stops

What you need to know first: you should know how to Clear Tabs.

See also: If your country's number system does not use full stops or periods for the decimal point, please see the Decimal Tabs topic for how to change the decimal point character to a comma or other character.

Code Used: [stbS:A:P]

Keystroke: (None)

What does it do?

Sets a numbered Tab Stop, Aligned in a particular way, at a specific Position on the braille page.

Where would it be used?

To force a group of characters to a specific position on the line, such as in Columns of figures. For example, certain tables in an inkprint text might be rendered into braille just using tab stops.

Example Table from Print Text

Desc.	Debit	Credit	Balance
Opening			$995
Salary		$500	$1495
DBT	$595		$900

Usage in DBT:

Rendering this table requires defining only 3 tab stops, all using left alignment.

[ctb][stb1:l:9][stb2:l:17][stb3:l:25]
Desc.[#1]Debit[#2]Credit[#3]Balance
Opening[#3]$995
Salary[#2]$500[#3]$1495
DBT[#1]$595[#3]$900

Produces in braille:

,desc4  ,debit  ,cr$it  ,bal.e

,op5+                   4#iie

,sal>y          4#ejj   4#adie

,,dbt   4#eie           4#ijj

Let us explain:

The [ctb] code clears any existing tab stops. The first [stb sets a left tab at cell 9, the second sets a left tab at cell 17, and the third sets a left tab at cell 25.

The subsequent tab codes, [#1], [#2], [#3], tab each following word to the appropriate numbered tab position.