tab

Tab is a term with multiple meanings across technology, music, and everyday language. The most common senses include the keyboard tab and the tab character, the graphical tabbed interface used to organize content, the running bill or account at a bar or restaurant, and a form of musical notation known as guitar tablature.

The tab key and the tab character are central to text formatting. Pressing the Tab key inserts a horizontal tab character, used to create indentation or align columns in plain text. In many environments, the tab is represented by the ASCII character 9, and its visual width depends on the program’s settings. Word processing and code editors use tab stops to define where the cursor jumps when Tab is pressed.

In graphical user interfaces, a tab is a clickable element that switches between different panes or documents within the same window. Tabbed interfaces help organize multiple items without opening separate windows, and they are common in web browsers, code editors, and many applications.

Tab can also denote a running bill or account, typically at a bar, restaurant, or hotel. A tab is settled when the charges accumulated during a visit are paid. The etymology traces to the practice of recording charges on a tabula or tablet, later rendered as a ledger slip or slip-portion used for ongoing accounts.

Guitar tablature, or tab, is another well-known meaning. This notation system represents finger placement on fretted strings rather than musical pitches, using six lines to mirror the strings of a guitar or related instrument and numbers to indicate frets. Tabs provide an accessible way to learn melodies and riffs without standard musical notation.

Overall, tab covers a family of related concepts tied to writing, organization, and notation.