PRINTF(3S) GENIX Programmer's Manual PRINTF(3S)
NAME
printf, fprintf, sprintf - formatted output conversion
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
printf(format [, arg ] ... )
char *format;
fprintf(stream, format [, arg ] ... )
FILE *stream;
char *format;
sprintf(s, format [, arg ] ... )
char *s, format;
DESCRIPTION
Printf places output on the standard output stream stdout. Fprintf
places output on the named output stream. Sprintf places `output'
in the string s, followed by the character `\0'.
Each of these functions converts, formats, and prints its arguments
after the first under control of the first argument. The first
argument is a character string which contains two types of objects:
plain characters, which are simply copied to the output stream, and
conversion specifications, each of which causes conversion and
printing of the next successive arg printf.
Each conversion specification is introduced by the character %.
Following the %, there may be
- an optional minus sign `-' which specifies left adjustment of
the converted value in the indicated field;
- an optional digit string specifying a field width; if the con-
verted value has fewer characters than the field width it will
be blank-padded on the left (or right, if the left-adjustment
indicator has been given) to make up the field width; if the
field width begins with a zero, zero-padding will be done
instead of blank-padding;
- an optional period `.' which serves to separate the field width
from the next digit string;
- an optional digit string specifying a precision which specifies
the number of digits to appear after the decimal point, for e-
and f-conversion, or the maximum number of characters to be
printed from a string;
- the character l specifying that a following d, o, x, or u
corresponds to a long integer arg. (A capitalized conversion
code accomplishes the same thing.)
Printed 11/16/83 1
PRINTF(3S) GENIX Programmer's Manual PRINTF(3S)
- a character which indicates the type of conversion to be
applied.
A field width or precision may be `*' instead of a digit string. In
this case an integer arg supplies the field width or precision.
The conversion characters and their meanings are
doxb The integer arg is converted to decimal, octal, hexadecimal, or
binary notation respectively.
f The float or double arg is converted to decimal notation in the
style `[-]ddd.ddd' where the number of d's after the decimal
point is equal to the precision specification for the argument.
If the precision is missing, 6 digits are given; if the preci-
sion is explicitly 0, no digits and no decimal point are
printed.
e The float or double arg is converted in the style
`[-]d.ddde+dd' where there is one digit before the decimal
point and the number after is equal to the precision specifica-
tion for the argument; when the precision is missing, 6 digits
are produced.
g The float or double arg is printed in style d, in style f, or
in style e, whichever gives full precision in minimum space.
c The character arg is printed.
s Arg is taken to be a string (character pointer) and characters
from the string are printed until a null character or until the
number of characters indicated by the precision specification
is reached; however if the precision is 0 or missing all char-
acters up to a null are printed.
u The unsigned integer arg is converted to decimal and printed
(the result will be in the range 0 through MAXUINT, where MAX-
UINT equals 4294967295 on an NS16000 or VAX-11 and 65536 on a
PDP-11).
% Print a `%'; no argument is converted.
r The arg is taken as an entire printf calling sequence of format
plus args and is printed recursively within the original call
to printf. This is useful where a message and arguments are to
be passed to another routine for printing, as in error handling
routines.
In no case does a non-existent or small field width cause truncation
of a field; padding takes place only if the specified field width
exceeds the actual width. Characters generated by printf are
printed by putc(3).
Printed 11/16/83 2
PRINTF(3S) GENIX Programmer's Manual PRINTF(3S)
Examples
To print a date and time in the form `Sunday, July 3, 10:02', where
weekday and month are pointers to null-terminated strings:
printf("%s, %s %d, %02d:%02d", weekday, month, day, hour, min);
To print pi to 5 decimals:
printf("pi = %.5f", 4*atan(1.0));
To use the r format:
main () {
remote ("%s `%c'0, "a string followed by a char", 'T');
}
remote (args)
char **args;
{
printf ("before3rafter0, n, &args, n);
}
This would print:
before
a string followed by a char T
after
SEE ALSO
putc(3), scanf(3), ecvt(3)
BUGS
Very wide fields (>128 characters) fail.
Printed 11/16/83 3