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

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

merge:{
 :[()_in(x;y)           ;(x;y)
   (*x)~(*y)-1 0        ;(();(|x),,*|y)    
   (*|x)~(*y)-1 0       ;(();x,,*|y)
   (*x)~(*|y)+1 0       ;(.[y;(-1+#y;0);1+],,*|x;())
   (*|x)~(*|y)+1 0      ;(.[y;(-1+#y;0);1+],,*x;())
                         (x;y)]}

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

lines a