diff --git a/src/awk/approx.awk b/src/awk/approx.awk
index 674eeae..23de871 100644
--- a/src/awk/approx.awk
+++ b/src/awk/approx.awk
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 ## src/awk/approx.awk
+##
 ## Generate single-line approximate information for every iCalendar argument.
+## The fields in each line are separated by "\t"
+## The fields are the following:
+## 1. "~" (constant, indicating that the lines contains approximate information)
+## 2. start (this can be used in date (1))
+## 3. end (this can be used in date (1)
+## 4. string to display
+## 5. filename (collection/name)
 ##
 ## @assign collection_labels: See configuration of the current program.
 
@@ -25,8 +33,8 @@ function fn(path,    n, a) {
 # @return: colorized single-line title string
 function title(start, summary) {
   summary = getcontent(summary)
-  gsub("\n", " ", summary) # This will be put on a single line
-  gsub("\\|",  ":", summary) # we use "|" as delimiter
+  gsub("\n",  " ", summary) # This will be put on a single line
+  gsub("\\t", " ", summary) # we use "\t" as delimiter
   depth = split(FILENAME, path, "/")
   collection = depth > 1 ? path[depth-1] : ""
   collection = collection in collection2label ? collection2label[collection] : collection
@@ -36,7 +44,7 @@ function title(start, summary) {
 # AWK program
 BEGIN {
   FS="[:;=]"
-  OFS="|"
+  OFS="\t"
   split(collection_labels, mapping, ";")
   for (map in mapping)
   {
diff --git a/src/awk/dayview.awk b/src/awk/dayview.awk
index 363716f..716ea43 100644
--- a/src/awk/dayview.awk
+++ b/src/awk/dayview.awk
@@ -1,8 +1,22 @@
 ## src/awk/dayview.awk
-## Generate the view of a day from lines of the form
-## ```
-##  <start_date>|<end_date>|<start_time>|<end_time>|<file_path>|<collection>|<description>
-## ```.
+## Take as input (tab-delimited):
+##   1. s (start time, as HH:MM)
+##   2. e (end time, as HH:MM)
+##   3. starttime
+##   4. endtime
+##   5. fpath
+##   6. collection
+##   7. description
+##   8. status
+##
+## filter out irrelevant lines, and generate the view of a day
+## (tab-delimited), including empty hours:
+##   1. start date
+##   2. start time
+##   3. end time
+##   4. file path
+##   5. collection
+##   6. description
 ##
 ## @assign today: Date of `today` in the format %D (%m/%d/%y)
 ## @assign daystart: Hour of start of the day
@@ -91,14 +105,14 @@ function hrlines(start, stop, h,    starth, stoph, tmp, i) {
 
 # AWK program
 BEGIN {
-  FS = "|"
+  FS = "\t"
+  OFS = "\t"
   LIGHT_CYAN = "\033[1;36m"
   CYAN = "\033[1;36m"
   ITALIC = "\033[3m"
   FAINT = "\033[2m"
   STRIKE = "\033[9m"
   OFF = "\033[m"
-  OFS = "|"
 }
 $1 == "00:00" && $2 == "00:00" { print today, $1, $3, $4, $5, allday($6, $7, $8);        next }
 $1 == "00:00"                  { print today, $1, $3, $4, $5, endstoday($2, $6, $7, $8); next }
diff --git a/src/awk/merge.awk b/src/awk/merge.awk
index 49f46a3..b766fdc 100644
--- a/src/awk/merge.awk
+++ b/src/awk/merge.awk
@@ -4,14 +4,16 @@
 ## to the weeks at which the events take place.
 
 # AWK program
-BEGIN { FS="|" }
+BEGIN { FS="\t"; OFS="\t" }
 NR == FNR {
   i = i + 1
-  from_year[i] = $1
-  from_week[i] = $2
+  split($0, parts, ":")
+  from_year[i] = parts[1]
+  from_week[i] = parts[2]
   getline
-  to_year[i] = $1
-  to_week[i] = $2
+  split($0, parts, ":")
+  to_year[i] = parts[1]
+  to_week[i] = parts[2]
   next
 } # Load start and end week numbers from first file
 
@@ -21,8 +23,8 @@ NR == FNR {
   year_end = to_year[FNR]
   week_end = to_week[FNR]
   while(year_i <= year_end && (year_i < year_end || week_i <= week_end)) {
-    label = year_i"|"week_i
-    week[label] = week[label] " " $5
+    label = year_i ":" week_i ":"
+    week[label] = week[label] ? week[label] " " $5 : $5
     week_i++
     if (week_i > 53) {
       week_i = 1
@@ -30,4 +32,4 @@ NR == FNR {
     }
   }
 }
-END { for (label in week) print label week[label] }
+END { for (label in week) print label, week[label] }
diff --git a/src/awk/parse.awk b/src/awk/parse.awk
index 5f0fa41..b32d875 100644
--- a/src/awk/parse.awk
+++ b/src/awk/parse.awk
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 ## ```
 ## <start> <end> <fpath> <collection> <status> <summary>
 ## ```.
+## The output is space delimited.
+## Summary may contain spaces, but it's the last in the list.
 ##
 ## @assign collection_labels: See configuration of the current program.
 
@@ -17,7 +19,8 @@
 # @input summary: Content of SUMMARY field of the event
 function print_data(start, dur, end, summary,    cmd, collection, depth, path) {
   summary = getcontent(summary)
-  gsub("\n", " ", summary) # This will be put on a single line
+  gsub("\n", " ",    summary) # This will be put on a single line
+  gsub("\t", "    ", summary) # Generally, we use tab as delimiter.
   depth = split(FILENAME, path, "/")
   fpath = path[depth-1] "/" path[depth]
   collection = depth > 1 ? path[depth-1] : ""
diff --git a/src/awk/weekview.awk b/src/awk/weekview.awk
index 32daba0..09d94cd 100644
--- a/src/awk/weekview.awk
+++ b/src/awk/weekview.awk
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ## src/awk/weekview.awk
 ## Print view of all appointments of the current week.
+## Generates view from
+##   printf "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n" "$i" "$s" "$e" "$description"
 ##
 ## @assign startofweek: Date of first day in the week
 
@@ -7,27 +9,29 @@
 
 # Compose line that will display a day in the week.
 # 
+# @input desc: String with a description of the event
 # @return: Single-line string
-function c() {
-  return CYAN substr($0, index($0, ">") + 1) OFF "  " RED "/" OFF
+function c(desc) {
+  return CYAN desc OFF "  " RED "/" OFF
 }
 
 # AWK program
 
 BEGIN {
+  FS = "\t"
+  OFS = "\t"
   GREEN = "\033[1;32m"
   RED = "\033[1;31m"
   CYAN = "\033[1;36m"
   OFF = "\033[m"
-  OFS = "|"
 }
-/^[0-7] 00:00 -- 00:00/                         { dayline = dayline " " c(); next }
-/^[0-7] 00:00 -- /                              { dayline = dayline " → " $4 " " c(); next }
-/^[0-7] [0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2} -- 00:00/             { dayline = dayline " " $2 " → " c(); next }
-/^[0-7] [0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2} -- [0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}/ { dayline = dayline " " $2 " – " $4 " " c(); next }
-/^[0-7]$/ && dayline                            { print "+", startofweek " +" $0-1 " days", "", dayline }
-/^[0-7]$/ {
-  cmd = "date -d '" startofweek " +" $0 " days' +\"%a %e %b %Y\""
+$2 == "00:00" && $3 == "00:00" { dayline = dayline " " c($4); next }
+$2 == "00:00"                  { dayline = dayline " → " $3 " " c($4); next }
+$3 == "00:00"                  { dayline = dayline " " $2 " → " c($4); next }
+NF == 4                        { dayline = dayline " " $2 " – " $3 " " c($4); next }
+NF == 1 && dayline             { print "+", startofweek " +" $1-1 " days", "", dayline }
+NF == 1 {
+  cmd = "date -d '" startofweek " +" $1 " days' +\"%a %e %b %Y\""
   cmd | getline dayline
   close(cmd)
   dayline = GREEN dayline ":   " OFF
diff --git a/src/main.sh b/src/main.sh
index 32b29e6..9a93b50 100755
--- a/src/main.sh
+++ b/src/main.sh
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ while true; do
           --list-border="top" \
           --list-label-pos=3 \
           --cycle \
-          --delimiter='|' \
+          --delimiter='\t' \
           --with-nth='{6}' \
           --accept-nth='1,2,3,4,5' \
           --preview="$0 --preview-event {}" \
@@ -186,15 +186,15 @@ while true; do
             )+transform(
               [ -n \"\${TZ:-}\" ] && echo \"change-list-label:\$WHITE\$ITALIC(\$TZ)\$OFF\"
             )+transform(
-              [ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview
+              [ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview
             )" \
           --bind="start:hide-preview" \
-          --bind="j:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
-          --bind="k:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
-          --bind="ctrl-j:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
-          --bind="ctrl-k:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
-          --bind="down:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
-          --bind="up:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -d '|' -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="j:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="k:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="ctrl-j:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="ctrl-k:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="down:down+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
+          --bind="up:up+hide-preview+transform([ -n \"\$(echo {} | cut -f 5)\" ] && echo show-preview)" \
           --bind="l:hide-preview+reload:$0 --reload-day {1} '+1 day'" \
           --bind="h:hide-preview+reload:$0 --reload-day {1} '-1 day'" \
           --bind="right:hide-preview+reload:$0 --reload-day {1} '+1 day'" \
@@ -214,11 +214,11 @@ while true; do
     if [ "$line" = "$key" ]; then
       line=""
     fi
-    DISPLAY_DATE=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 1)
-    hour=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 2)
-    start=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 3)
-    end=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 4)
-    fpath=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 5 | sed "s/ /|/g")
+    DISPLAY_DATE=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 1)
+    hour=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 2)
+    start=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 3)
+    end=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 4)
+    fpath=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 5)
     if [ "$key" = "ctrl-n" ]; then
       if echo "$hour" | grep ":"; then
         hour="$DAY_START"
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ while true; do
           --no-sort \
           --no-hscroll \
           --ellipsis="" \
-          --delimiter="|" \
+          --delimiter="\t" \
           --with-nth="{4}" \
           --accept-nth=1,2 \
           --ansi \
@@ -408,8 +408,8 @@ while true; do
     if [ "$line" = "$key" ]; then
       line=""
     fi
-    sign=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 1)
-    DISPLAY_DATE=$(echo "$line" | cut -d '|' -f 2)
+    sign=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 1)
+    DISPLAY_DATE=$(echo "$line" | cut -f 2)
     if [ "$key" = "ctrl-n" ]; then
       if [ "$sign" = "~" ]; then
         DISPLAY_DATE=""
diff --git a/src/sh/clipreview.sh b/src/sh/clipreview.sh
index f5036ea..b56ee06 100644
--- a/src/sh/clipreview.sh
+++ b/src/sh/clipreview.sh
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
 #
 # @input $2: Line from day view containing an event
 if [ "${1:-}" = "--preview-event" ]; then
-  hour=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 2)
-  start=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 3)
-  end=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 4)
-  fpath=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 5 | sed "s/ /|/g")
+  hour=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 2)
+  start=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 3)
+  end=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 4)
+  fpath=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 5)
   if [ -n "$hour" ] && [ -n "$fpath" ]; then
     fpath="$ROOT/$fpath"
     start=$(datetime_str "$start" "%a ")
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ fi
 #
 # @input $2: Line from week view
 if [ "${1:-}" = "--preview-week" ]; then
-  sign=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 1)
+  sign=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 1)
   if [ "$sign" = "+" ]; then
-    startdate=$(echo "$2" | cut -d '|' -f 2)
+    startdate=$(echo "$2" | cut -f 2)
     set -- $(date -d "$startdate" +"%Y %m %d")
     year=$1
     month=$2
diff --git a/src/sh/load.sh b/src/sh/load.sh
index 33cded1..bc2a129 100644
--- a/src/sh/load.sh
+++ b/src/sh/load.sh
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ __load_approx_data() {
 
 # For every relevant week, print associated iCalendar files
 __load_weeks() {
-  dates=$(awk -F'|' '{ print $2; print $3 }' "$APPROX_DATA_FILE")
+  dates=$(awk -F'\t' '{ print $2; print $3 }' "$APPROX_DATA_FILE")
   file_dates=$(mktemp)
-  echo "$dates" | date --file="/dev/stdin" +"%G|%V" >"$file_dates"
+  echo "$dates" | date --file="/dev/stdin" +"%G:%V:" >"$file_dates"
   awk "$AWK_MERGE" "$file_dates" "$APPROX_DATA_FILE"
   rm "$file_dates"
 }
diff --git a/src/sh/view.sh b/src/sh/view.sh
index fc19ae2..85e2b22 100644
--- a/src/sh/view.sh
+++ b/src/sh/view.sh
@@ -3,10 +3,17 @@
 # - __view_week
 # - __view_all
 
-# This function prints the view for the day specified in `$DISPLAY_DATE`.
+# This function prints the view for the day specified in `$DISPLAY_DATE`, in
+# the tab-delimited format with the fields:
+#  1. start date
+#  2. start time
+#  3. end time
+#  4. file path
+#  5. collection
+#  6. description
 __view_day() {
-  weeknr=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%G.%V")
-  files=$(grep "^$weeknr\ " "$WEEKLY_DATA_FILE" | cut -d " " -f 2-)
+  weeknr=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%G:%V:")
+  files=$(grep "^$weeknr" "$WEEKLY_DATA_FILE" | cut -f 2)
   # Find relevant files in list of week files
   sef=$({
     set -- $files
@@ -17,6 +24,7 @@ __view_day() {
         "$AWK_PARSE" "$file"
     done
   })
+  # $sef holds (space-delimited): <start> <end> <fpath> <collection> <status> <summary>
   today=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%D")
   if [ -n "$sef" ]; then
     sef=$(echo "$sef" | while IFS= read -r line; do
@@ -25,13 +33,13 @@ __view_day() {
       shift
       endtime="$1"
       shift
-      fpath="$(echo "$1" | sed 's/|/ /g')" # we will use | as delimiter (need to convert back!)
+      fpath="$1" # we will use | as delimiter (need to convert back!)
       shift
       collection="$1"
       shift
       status="$1"
       shift
-      description="$(echo "$*" | sed 's/|/:/g')" # we will use | as delimiter
+      description="$*"
       #
       daystart=$(date -d "$today 00:00:00" +"%s")
       dayend=$(date -d "$today 23:59:59" +"%s")
@@ -50,7 +58,7 @@ __view_day() {
       else
         continue
       fi
-      echo "$s|$e|$starttime|$endtime|$fpath|$collection|$description|$status"
+      printf "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n" "$s" "$e" "$starttime" "$endtime" "$fpath" "$collection" "$description" "$status"
     done)
   fi
   echo "$sef" | sort -n | awk -v today="$today" -v daystart="$DAY_START" -v dayend="$DAY_END" "$AWK_DAYVIEW"
@@ -58,8 +66,8 @@ __view_day() {
 
 # This function prints the view for the week that contains the day specified in `$DISPLAY_DATE`.
 __view_week() {
-  weeknr=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%G.%V")
-  files=$(grep "^$weeknr\ " "$WEEKLY_DATA_FILE" | cut -d " " -f 2-)
+  weeknr=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%G:%V:")
+  files=$(grep "^$weeknr" "$WEEKLY_DATA_FILE" | cut -f 2)
   dayofweek=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE" +"%u")
   delta=$((1 - dayofweek))
   startofweek=$(date -d "$DISPLAY_DATE -$delta days" +"%D")
@@ -99,21 +107,19 @@ __view_week() {
         dayend=$(date -d "$startofweek +$i days 23:59:59" +"%s")
         if [ "$starttime" -gt "$daystart" ] && [ "$starttime" -lt "$dayend" ]; then
           s=$(date -d "@$starttime" +"%H:%M")
-          s="$s -"
         elif [ "$starttime" -le "$daystart" ] && [ "$endtime" -gt "$daystart" ]; then
-          s="00:00 -"
+          s="00:00"
         else
           continue
         fi
         if [ "$endtime" -gt "$daystart" ] && [ "$endtime" -lt "$dayend" ]; then
           e=$(date -d "@$endtime" +"%H:%M")
-          e="- $e"
         elif [ "$endtime" -ge "$dayend" ] && [ "$starttime" -lt "$dayend" ]; then
-          e="- 00:00"
+          e="00:00"
         else
           continue
         fi
-        echo "$i $s$e >$description"
+        printf "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n" "$i" "$s" "$e" "$description"
       done
     done)
   fi