The TAB function is used in PRINT and LPRINT statements to move to a specified column position.

Syntax

TAB(column%)

Description

• Space characters are printed until the print cursor reaches the designated column%, overwriting existing characters.
• If a subsequent TAB column% is less than the current position, TAB moves the next print to that column on the next row.
• ASCII CHR$(9) can be substituted for sequencial 9 space column moves.
• Comma PRINT spacing is up to 15 column places (IE: TAB(15)) to a maximum column of 57.
• When printing to a file, a carriage return(CHR$(13)) and linefeed(CHR$(10)) character are output when it moves to the next row.
• Note: QBasic did not allow a TAB to be concatenation to a string value. In PRINT statements the + would be changed to a semicolon.

  In QB64, TAB concatenation is allowed instead of semicolons. Example: PRINT “text” + TAB(9) + “here”

Example(s)

Comparing TAB to comma print spacing which moves the next text print 15 columns.

PRINT TAB(15); "T" 'TAB spacing

PRINT , "T" 'comma spacing

PRINT TAB(15); "T"; TAB(20); "A"; TAB(15); "B" 'semicolons add nothing to position

PRINT TAB(15); "T", TAB(20); "A"; TAB(15); "B" 'comma moves column position beyond 20 

              T
              T
              T    A
              B 
              T
                   A
              B

Explanation: TAB moves the PRINT down to the next row when the current column position is more than the TAB position.

See Also

• PRINT, LPRINT
• SPC, SPACE$
• STRING$
• CHR$, ASCII