Brain Imaging & Analysis Center

usage: str = format(fmtstring,varb1,varb2,…)

The FORMAT function converts data variables to a character string according to the conversion format specified in the FMTSTRING argument. This function converts single-valued variables to a character string. To convert multi-valued variables to text use the FTYPE command (the output of FTYPE can be displayed on the screen, stored in a text file, or stored in a string list variable (see FTYPE(2))).

The format command string FMTSTRING specifies the output string according to the following rules:

 1) FMTSTRING characters not preceded by \ or % copy directly to the output
    string.
 2) the character \ followed by one or more characters convert according
    to the following table:
      \b   BACKSPACE character (10o)      \t   spaces to next TAB (see [TAB][4])
      \e   ESCAPE character (33o)         \\   \ character
      \f   FORMFEED character (14o)       \'   ' character
      \n   NEWLINE character (12o)        \"   " character
      \r   RETURN character (15o)
      \nnn where nnn are digits 0-7, results in the ascii character with
           value NNN (octal)
 3) 2 % characters (%%) are converted to a single % character on output.
 4) the character % followed by character(s) of the form:
                       %N.M<charcode>
    (where N and M are optional numbers and CHARCODE is a letter), are replaced
    with the ascii string for the value of the next element in the data list.
    Unless otherwise indicated, if N is specified it indicates the number of
    characters in the output string.  If N is negative, the converted output is
    left justified within the N space field, otherwise it is right justified.
    If the number N starts with a 0 and the output converts to a number, the
    justified field is padded with 0's instead of blanks.  The type of data
    conversion and the meaning of M depend upon the CHARCODE, as follows:
        s   copy character string variable to output
        d   convert an integer in base 10 (decimal)
        b   convert an integer in base 2 (binary)
        q   convert an integer in base 4
        o   convert an integer in base 8 (octal)
        h   convert an integer in base 16 (hexidecimal)
        x   convert an integer in base 16 (hexidecimal)
        i   convert an integer using the current value of the system variable
            OBASE as the number base
        f   convert a floating point value with M digits to the right of the
            decimal point (Note: you can use any of the characters .,:;_/ to
            separate the integral and decimal parts; see examples)
        v   convert a vector variable to 6 output values
        c   convert a value to the single character with that ascii code
        C   convert an array of values as a string of ascii characters
        (   repeat the format between here and the corresponding %), N times
        )   paired with a %( for repeating format specifications
        t   space over to the N'th output character

   Note: CHARCODEs FIDBQOHX and # are also recognized as format codes by
        the FTYPE command, but not by the FORMAT command.

Examples:

   Assume variables  a=123.654  b=92.123  d=12  m=2  i1={113,97,48,49}

    format("Val=%5.2f degrees",a)       -->    Val=12.65 degrees
    format("%d/%d/%d\n",d,m,b)          -->    12/2/92<Newline>
    format("%3(%3o %)\n",a,b,d)         -->    173 134  14 <Newline>
    format("%C %c",i1,d)                -->    qb01 <Formfeed>
    format("%5:2f %05/2f",hour,day)     -->    15:05 09/04

See Also:
FTYPE(2), OBASE(4), TAB(4), TABS(4), VARIABLES(1)

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