The Selection of Optimal Tab Settings

A new generation of computer terminals allows
tab settings to be selected and set by the computer. 
 This feature can be used to reduce the number of characters
that are needed to represent a document 
for transmission and printing.  In this note, an algorithm
is given for selecting the optimal set of 
tab stops for minimizing the number of characters transmitted.
 An implementation of the algorithm has 
reduced the number of characters transmitted by from
7 to 30 percent, but requires a prepass through 
the document to compute a matrix used in determining
the optimal set tab stops.  The use of fixed tab 
stops, as a heuristic alternative, can achieve
about 80 percent of optimal with no prepass. 

CACM December, 1978

Peterson, J.
Bitner, J.
Howard, J.

Tabs, word processing, dynamic programming

3.9 4.4

CA781203 DH January 18, 1979  4:34 PM 

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