diff --git a/app/src/util/str.c b/app/src/util/str.c
index ab1c8783..1564ffe2 100644
--- a/app/src/util/str.c
+++ b/app/src/util/str.c
@@ -304,3 +304,29 @@ sc_str_truncate(char *data, size_t len, const char *endchars) {
     data[idx] = '\0';
     return idx;
 }
+
+ssize_t
+sc_str_index_of_column(const char *s, unsigned col, const char *seps) {
+    size_t colidx = 0;
+
+    size_t idx = 0;
+    while (s[idx] != '\0' && colidx != col) {
+        size_t r = strcspn(&s[idx], seps);
+        idx += r;
+
+        if (s[idx] == '\0') {
+            // Not found
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        size_t consecutive_seps = strspn(&s[idx], seps);
+        assert(consecutive_seps); // At least one
+        idx += consecutive_seps;
+
+        if (s[idx] != '\0') {
+            ++colidx;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return col == colidx ? (ssize_t) idx : -1;
+}
diff --git a/app/src/util/str.h b/app/src/util/str.h
index 521dfff5..2c7d7829 100644
--- a/app/src/util/str.h
+++ b/app/src/util/str.h
@@ -114,4 +114,24 @@ sc_str_wrap_lines(const char *input, unsigned columns, unsigned indent);
 size_t
 sc_str_truncate(char *data, size_t len, const char *endchars);
 
+/**
+ * Find the start of a column in a string
+ *
+ * A string may represent several columns, separated by some "spaces"
+ * (separators). This function aims to find the start of the column number
+ * `col`.
+ *
+ * For example, to find the 4th column (column number 3):
+ *
+ *     //                               here
+ *     //                               v
+ *     const char *s = "abc def    ghi  jk";
+ *     ssize_t index = sc_str_index_of_column(s, 3, " ");
+ *     assert(index == 16); // points to "jk"
+ *
+ * Return -1 if no such column exists.
+ */
+ssize_t
+sc_str_index_of_column(const char *s, unsigned col, const char *seps);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/app/tests/test_str.c b/app/tests/test_str.c
index c66bb2f4..bd976b3c 100644
--- a/app/tests/test_str.c
+++ b/app/tests/test_str.c
@@ -364,6 +364,26 @@ static void test_truncate(void) {
     assert(!strcmp("hello", s4));
 }
 
+static void test_index_of_column(void) {
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a bc  d", 0, " ") == 0);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a bc  d", 1, " ") == 2);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a bc  d", 2, " ") == 6);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a bc  d", 3, " ") == -1);
+
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a  ", 0, " ") == 0);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a  ", 1, " ") == -1);
+
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("", 0, " ") == 0);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("", 1, " ") == -1);
+
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a \t   \t bc  \t  d\t", 0, " \t") == 0);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a \t   \t bc  \t  d\t", 1, " \t") == 8);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a \t   \t bc  \t  d\t", 2, " \t") == 15);
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("a \t   \t bc  \t  d\t", 3, " \t") == -1);
+
+    assert(sc_str_index_of_column("  a bc  d", 1, " ") == 2);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     (void) argc;
     (void) argv;
@@ -384,5 +404,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     test_strlist_contains();
     test_wrap_lines();
     test_truncate();
+    test_index_of_column();
     return 0;
 }