Function: ls-lisp-column-format

ls-lisp-column-format is a byte-compiled function defined in ls-lisp.el.gz.

Signature

(ls-lisp-column-format FILE-ALIST)

Documentation

Insert the file names (only) in FILE-ALIST into the current buffer.

Format in columns, sorted vertically, following GNU ls -C. Responds to the window width as ls should but may not!

Source Code

;; Defined in /usr/src/emacs/lisp/ls-lisp.el.gz
(defun ls-lisp-column-format (file-alist)
  "Insert the file names (only) in FILE-ALIST into the current buffer.
Format in columns, sorted vertically, following GNU ls -C.
Responds to the window width as ls should but may not!"
  (let (files fmt ncols collen (nfiles 0) (colwid 0))
    ;; Count number of files as `nfiles', build list of filenames as
    ;; `files', and find maximum filename length as `colwid':
    (let (file len)
      (while file-alist
	(setq nfiles (1+ nfiles)
	      file (caar file-alist)
	      files (cons file files)
	      file-alist (cdr file-alist)
	      len (length file))
	(if (> len colwid) (setq colwid len))))
    (setq files (nreverse files)
	  colwid (+ 2 colwid)		; 2 character column gap
	  fmt (format "%%-%ds" colwid)	; print format
	  ncols (/ (window-width) colwid) ; no of columns
	  collen (/ nfiles ncols))	; floor of column length
    (if (> nfiles (* collen ncols)) (setq collen (1+ collen)))
    ;; Output the file names in columns, sorted vertically:
    (let ((i 0) j)
      (while (< i collen)
	(setq j i)
	(while (< j nfiles)
	  (insert (format fmt (nth j files)))
	  (setq j (+ j collen)))
	;; FJW: This is completely unnecessary, but I don't like
	;; trailing white space...
	(delete-region (point) (progn (skip-chars-backward " \t") (point)))
	(insert ?\n)
	(setq i (1+ i))))))