Windows PowerShell Format-Table equivalent in Linux
Formats delimited text into aligned columns.
PowerShell Format-Table
column -t
column -t
column -t
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Format-Table" is used to align tabular text. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "column -t". Formats delimited text into aligned columns. This reference is grouped under Text Processing → PowerShell Text.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Format-Table maps to column -t for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux command-line basics.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Align tabular text
Formats delimited text into aligned columns.
column -t
Align tabular text
column --help
Show command help when supported
man column
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
column -t
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Format-Table
column -tReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
column -t | Align tabular text |
column --help | Show command help when supported |
man column | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "column -t" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | column -t |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | column -t |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | column -t |
Same command on this distribution. |
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