Name

printf

Synopsis

printf [filehandle] format, list
                  

Prints a formatted string of the elements in list to filehandle or, if omitted, the currently selected output filehandle. This is similar to the C library’s printf and fprintf functions, except that the * field width specifier is not supported. The function is exactly equivalent to:

print filehandle sprintf(format, list);

printf and sprintf use the same format syntax, but sprintf returns only a string; it doesn’t print to a filehandle. The format string contains text with embedded field specifiers into which the elements of list are substituted in order, one per field. Field specifiers follow the form:

%m.nx

A percent sign begins each field, and x is the type of field. The optional m gives the minimum field width for appropriate field types (negative m left-justifies). The .n gives the precision for a specific field type, such as the number of digits after a decimal point for floating-point numbers, the maximum length for a string, and the minimum length for an integer.

Field specifiers (x) may be the following:

Code

Meaning

%

Percent sign

c

Character

d

Decimal integer

e

Exponential format floating-point number

E

Exponential format floating-point number with uppercase E

f

Fixed-point format floating-point number

g

Floating-point number, in either exponential or fixed decimal notation

G

Like g with uppercase E (if applicable)

ld

Long decimal integer

lo

Long octal integer

lu

Long unsigned decimal integer

lx

Long hexadecimal integer

o

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