cdm/src/main/java/ucar/unidata/util/Format.java
public static void tab(StringBuffer sbuff, int tabStop, boolean alwaysOne) {
    int len = sbuff.length();
    if (tabStop > len) {
      sbuff.setLength(tabStop);
      for (int i = len; i < tabStop; i++) {
        sbuff.setCharAt(i, ' ');
      }
    } else if (alwaysOne) {
      sbuff.setLength(len + 1);
      sbuff.setCharAt(len, ' ');
    }
  }
public static void tab(StringBuffer sbuff, int tabStop, boolean alwaysOne) {
    int len = sbuff.length();
    if (tabStop > len) {
      sbuff.setLength(tabStop);
      for (int i = len; i < tabStop; i++) {
        sbuff.setCharAt(i, ' ');
      }
    } else if (alwaysOne) {
      sbuff.setLength(len + 1);
      sbuff.setCharAt(len, ' ');
    }
  }
Blank fill sbuff with blanks, until position tabStop.

@param sbuff     StringBuffer to manipulate
@param tabStop   pad out to here
@param alwaysOne true if you want to guarentee at least one space.