Make nice columns from random delimited files; here's how to use it: http://shelr.tv/records/4f9f20d59660807992000059

columnate.awk

#!/usr/bin/awk  -f

#BEGIN{FS="\t";}

BEGIN{
    if (DELIM == 0)
        DELIM=" "
    if (SPACING == 0)
        SPACING = " "
    }

{
    line[NR] = $0    # saves the line
    for (f=1; f<=NF; f++) {
        len = length($f)
        if (len>max[f])
            max[f] = len    # an array of maximum field widths
    }
}

END {
    for(nr=1; nr<=NR; nr++) {
        nf = split(line[nr], fields)
        for (f=1; f<nf; f++)
            #printf "%-*s", max[f]+2, fields[f]
            printf "%-*s%s", max[f]+SPACING, fields[f], DELIM
        print fields[f]     # the last field need not be padded
    }
}