▁FA ST A / P ear son ▁format ▁is ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁documentation ▁for ▁the ▁FA ST A ▁suite ▁of ▁programs . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁downloaded ▁with ▁any ▁free ▁distribution ▁of ▁FA ST A ▁( see ▁fast a 2 0 . doc , ▁fast a V N . doc ▁or ▁fast a V N . me — where ▁V N ▁is ▁the ▁Version ▁Number ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁original ▁format , ▁a ▁sequence ▁was ▁represented ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁lines , ▁each ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 ▁characters ▁and ▁usually ▁did ▁not ▁exceed ▁ 8 0 ▁characters . ▁This ▁probably ▁was ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁pre al location ▁of ▁fixed ▁line ▁sizes ▁in ▁software : ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁most ▁users ▁re lied ▁on ▁Digital ▁Equ ip ment ▁Corporation ▁( DE C ) ▁V T 2 2 0 ▁( or ▁compatible ) ▁terminal s ▁which ▁could ▁display ▁ 8 0 ▁or ▁ 1 3 2 ▁characters ▁per ▁line . ▁Most ▁people ▁preferred ▁the ▁bigger ▁font ▁in ▁ 8 0 - character ▁modes ▁and ▁so ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁recommended ▁fashion ▁to ▁use ▁ 8 0 ▁characters ▁or ▁less ▁( o ften ▁ 7 0 ) ▁in ▁FA ST A ▁lines . ▁Also , ▁the ▁width ▁of ▁a ▁standard ▁printed ▁page ▁is ▁ 7 0 ▁to ▁ 8 0 ▁characters ▁( dep ending ▁on ▁the ▁font ). ▁Hence , ▁ 8 0 ▁characters ▁became ▁the ▁norm . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁line ▁in ▁a ▁FA ST A ▁file ▁started ▁either ▁with ▁a ▁"