/ http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&threadm=qfBid.3718%24Gm6.1347%40newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26group%3Dcomp.lang.functional

lines:{
 h:,/segments[("-";0 -1)]'[x;!#x]
 v:|:'',/segments[("|";-1 0)]'[+x;!#*x]
 adjust[x]',/connect/(h;v)}

adjust:{:[(x .*|y)_in"-|";y;@[y;-1+#y;-1 0+]]}
segments:{:[#b:&(~=)':x[0]=" ",y;z{+(x;y)}'@[-1 2#b;_n;x[1]+];()]}
connect:{at/[x;,/,/:\:/(!#:)'x]_dv\:()}
at:{./[x;k;:;merge . x ./:k:0 1,'y]}

merge:{
 :[()_in(x;y)     ;(x;y)
   (*x)~*y        ;(();(|x),,*|y)    
   (*|x)~*y       ;(();x,,*|y)
   (*x)~*|y       ;(y,,*|x;())
   (*|x)~*|y      ;(y,,*x;())
                   (x;y)]}

a:("sadlkjsadsfljkasf"
   "asrdlfhsad---hhfa"
   "assjh---dash|fsas"
   "saddl|kjsafj|hash"
   "ask---dhhfsk|fhsf"
   "sdafhshfsdkjfhshf")

lines a