Text.Printf

base-4.8.2.0: Basic libraries

Copyright | (c) Lennart Augustsson and Bart Massey 2013
License | BSD-style (see the file LICENSE in this distribution)
Maintainer | Bart Massey <bart@cs.pdx.edu>
Stability | provisional
Portability | portable
Safe Haskell | Safe
Language | Haskell2010

Text.Printf

Contents

- Printing Functions
- Extending To New Types
  - Handling Type-specific Modifiers
  - Standard Formatters
  - Raising Errors
- Implementation Internals

Description

A C `printf(3)`-like formatter. This version has been extended by Bart Massey as per the recommendations of John Meacham and Simon Marlow <http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.haskell.libraries/4726> to support extensible formatting for new datatypes. It has also been extended to support almost all C `printf(3)` syntax.

Synopsis

- printf :: PrintfType r => String -> r
- hPrintf :: HPrintfType r => Handle -> String -> r
- class PrintfArg a where
  - formatArg :: a -> FieldFormatter
  - parseFormat :: a -> ModifierParser
- type FieldFormatter = FieldFormat -> ShowS
- data FieldFormat = FieldFormat {
  - fmtWidth :: Maybe Int
  - fmtPrecision :: Maybe Int
  - fmtAdjust :: Maybe FormatAdjustment
  - fmtSign :: Maybe FormatSign
  - fmtAlternate :: Bool
  - fmtModifiers :: String
  - fmtChar :: Char
  }
- data FormatAdjustment
  - = LeftAdjust
  - | ZeroPad
- data FormatSign
  - = SignPlus
  - | SignSpace
- vFmt :: Char -> FieldFormat -> FieldFormat
- type ModifierParser = String -> FormatParse
- data FormatParse = FormatParse {
  - fpModifiers :: String
  - fpChar :: Char
  - fpRest :: String
  }
- formatString :: IsChar a => [a] -> FieldFormatter
- formatChar :: Char -> FieldFormatter
- formatInt :: (Integral a, Bounded a) => a -> FieldFormatter
- formatInteger :: Integer -> FieldFormatter
- formatRealFloat :: RealFloat a => a -> FieldFormatter
- errorBadFormat :: Char -> a
- errorShortFormat :: a
- errorMissingArgument :: a
- errorBadArgument :: a
- perror :: String -> a
- class PrintfType t
- class HPrintfType t
- class IsChar c where
  - toChar :: c -> Char
  - fromChar :: Char -> c

# Printing Functions

printf :: PrintfType r => String -> r

Format a variable number of arguments with the C-style formatting string. The return value is either `String` or `(`IO` a)` (which should be `(`IO` '()')`, but Haskell's type system makes this hard).

The format string consists of ordinary characters and conversion specifications, which specify how to format one of the arguments to `printf` in the output string. A format specification is introduced by the `%` character; this character can be self-escaped into the format string using `%%`. A format specification ends with a /format character/ that provides the primary information about how to format the value. The rest of the conversion specification is optional. In order, one may have flag characters, a width specifier, a precision specifier, and type-specific modifier characters.

Unlike C `printf(3)`, the formatting of this `printf` is driven by the argument type; formatting is type specific. The types formatted by `printf` "out of the box" are:

- `Integral` types, including `Char`
- `String`
- `RealFloat` types

`printf` is also extensible to support other types: see below.

A conversion specification begins with the character `%`, followed by zero or more of the following flags:

       -      left adjust (default is right adjust)
       +      always use a sign (+ or -) for signed conversions
       space  leading space for positive numbers in signed conversions
       0      pad with zeros rather than spaces
       #      use an \"alternate form\": see below

When both flags are given, `-` overrides `0` and `+` overrides space. A negative width specifier in a `*` conversion is treated as positive but implies the left adjust flag.

The "alternate form" for unsigned radix conversions is as in C `printf(3)`:

       %o           prefix with a leading 0 if needed
       %x           prefix with a leading 0x if nonzero
       %X           prefix with a leading 0X if nonzero
       %b           prefix with a leading 0b if nonzero
       %[eEfFgG]    ensure that the number contains a decimal point

Any flags are followed optionally by a field width:

       num    field width
       *      as num, but taken from argument list

The field width is a minimum, not a maximum: it will be expanded as needed to avoid mutilating a value.

Any field width is followed optionally by a precision:

       .num   precision
       .      same as .0
       .*     as num, but taken from argument list

Negative precision is taken as 0. The meaning of the precision depends on the conversion type.

       Integral    minimum number of digits to show
       RealFloat   number of digits after the decimal point
       String      maximum number of characters

The precision for Integral types is accomplished by zero-padding. If both precision and zero-pad are given for an Integral field, the zero-pad is ignored.

Any precision is followed optionally for Integral types by a width modifier; the only use of this modifier being to set the implicit size of the operand for conversion of a negative operand to unsigned:

       hh     Int8
       h      Int16
       l      Int32
       ll     Int64
       L      Int64

The specification ends with a format character:

       c      character               Integral
       d      decimal                 Integral
       o      octal                   Integral
       x      hexadecimal             Integral
       X      hexadecimal             Integral
       b      binary                  Integral
       u      unsigned decimal        Integral
       f      floating point          RealFloat
       F      floating point          RealFloat
       g      general format float    RealFloat
       G      general format float    RealFloat
       e      exponent format float   RealFloat
       E      exponent format float   RealFloat
       s      string                  String
       v      default format          any type

The "%v" specifier is provided for all built-in types, and should be provided for user-defined type formatters as well. It picks a "best" representation for the given type. For the built-in types the "%v" specifier is converted as follows:

       c      Char
       u      other unsigned Integral
       d      other signed Integral
       g      RealFloat
       s      String

Mismatch between the argument types and the format string, as well as any other syntactic or semantic errors in the format string, will cause an exception to be thrown at runtime.

Note that the formatting for `RealFloat` types is currently a bit different from that of C `printf(3)`, conforming instead to `showEFloat`, `showFFloat` and `showGFloat` (and their alternate versions `showFFloatAlt` and `showGFloatAlt`). This is hard to fix: the fixed versions would format in a backward-incompatible way. In any case the Haskell behavior is generally more sensible than the C behavior. A brief summary of some key differences:

- Haskell `printf` never uses the default "6-digit" precision used by C printf.
- Haskell `printf` treats the "precision" specifier as indicating the number of digits after the decimal point.
- Haskell `printf` prints the exponent of e-format numbers without a gratuitous plus sign, and with the minimum possible number of digits.
- Haskell `printf` will place a zero after a decimal point when possible.

#### Examples

      > printf "%d\n" (23::Int)
      23
      > printf "%s %s\n" "Hello" "World"
      Hello World
      > printf "%.2f\n" pi
      3.14

hPrintf :: HPrintfType r => Handle -> String -> r

Similar to `printf`, except that output is via the specified `Handle`. The return type is restricted to `(`IO` a)`.

# Extending To New Types

This `printf` can be extended to format types other than those provided for by default. This is done by instancing `PrintfArg` and providing a `formatArg` for the type. It is possible to provide a `parseFormat` to process type-specific modifiers, but the default instance is usually the best choice.

For example:

    instance PrintfArg () where
      formatArg x fmt | fmtChar (vFmt 'U' fmt) == 'U' =
        formatString "()" (fmt { fmtChar = 's', fmtPrecision = Nothing })
      formatArg _ fmt = errorBadFormat $ fmtChar fmt

    main :: IO ()
    main = printf "[%-3.1U]\n" ()

prints "`[() ]`". Note the use of `formatString` to take care of field formatting specifications in a convenient way.

class PrintfArg a where

Typeclass of `printf`-formattable values. The `formatArg` method takes a value and a field format descriptor and either fails due to a bad descriptor or produces a `ShowS` as the result. The default `parseFormat` expects no modifiers: this is the normal case. Minimal instance: `formatArg`.

Minimal complete definition

formatArg

Methods

formatArg :: a -> FieldFormatter

Since: 4.7.0.0

parseFormat :: a -> ModifierParser

Since: 4.7.0.0

Instances

PrintfArg Char |
PrintfArg Double |
PrintfArg Float |
PrintfArg Int |
PrintfArg Int8 |
PrintfArg Int16 |
PrintfArg Int32 |
PrintfArg Int64 |
PrintfArg Integer |
PrintfArg Word |
PrintfArg Word8 |
PrintfArg Word16 |
PrintfArg Word32 |
PrintfArg Word64 |
PrintfArg Natural |
IsChar c => PrintfArg [c] |

type FieldFormatter = FieldFormat -> ShowS

This is the type of a field formatter reified over its argument.

Since: 4.7.0.0

data FieldFormat

Description of field formatting for `formatArg`. See UNIX `printf`(3) for a description of how field formatting works.

Since: 4.7.0.0

Constructors

FieldFormat |
Fields fmtWidth :: Maybe Int Total width of the field. fmtPrecision :: Maybe Int Secondary field width specifier. fmtAdjust :: Maybe FormatAdjustment Kind of filling or padding to be done. fmtSign :: Maybe FormatSign Whether to insist on a plus sign for positive numbers. fmtAlternate :: Bool Indicates an "alternate format". See printf(3) for the details, which vary by argument spec. fmtModifiers :: String Characters that appeared immediately to the left of `fmtChar` in the format and were accepted by the type's `parseFormat`. Normally the empty string. fmtChar :: Char The format character `printf` was invoked with. `formatArg` should fail unless this character matches the type. It is normal to handle many different format characters for a single type.

data FormatAdjustment

Whether to left-adjust or zero-pad a field. These are mutually exclusive, with `LeftAdjust` taking precedence.

Since: 4.7.0.0

Constructors

LeftAdjust |
ZeroPad |

data FormatSign

How to handle the sign of a numeric field. These are mutually exclusive, with `SignPlus` taking precedence.

Since: 4.7.0.0

Constructors

SignPlus |
SignSpace |

vFmt :: Char -> FieldFormat -> FieldFormat

Substitute a 'v' format character with the given default format character in the `FieldFormat`. A convenience for user-implemented types, which should support "%v".

Since: 4.7.0.0

## Handling Type-specific Modifiers

In the unlikely case that modifier characters of some kind are desirable for a user-provided type, a `ModifierParser` can be provided to process these characters. The resulting modifiers will appear in the `FieldFormat` for use by the type-specific formatter.

type ModifierParser = String -> FormatParse

Type of a function that will parse modifier characters from the format string.

Since: 4.7.0.0

data FormatParse

The "format parser" walks over argument-type-specific modifier characters to find the primary format character. This is the type of its result.

Since: 4.7.0.0

Constructors

FormatParse |
Fields fpModifiers :: String Any modifiers found. fpChar :: Char Primary format character. fpRest :: String Rest of the format string.

## Standard Formatters

These formatters for standard types are provided for convenience in writting new type-specific formatters: a common pattern is to throw to `formatString` or `formatInteger` to do most of the format handling for a new type.

formatString :: IsChar a => [a] -> FieldFormatter

Formatter for `String` values.

Since: 4.7.0.0

formatChar :: Char -> FieldFormatter

Formatter for `Char` values.

Since: 4.7.0.0

formatInt :: (Integral a, Bounded a) => a -> FieldFormatter

Formatter for `Int` values.

Since: 4.7.0.0

formatInteger :: Integer -> FieldFormatter

Formatter for `Integer` values.

Since: 4.7.0.0

formatRealFloat :: RealFloat a => a -> FieldFormatter

Formatter for `RealFloat` values.

Since: 4.7.0.0

## Raising Errors

These functions are used internally to raise various errors, and are exported for use by new type-specific formatters.

errorBadFormat :: Char -> a

Calls `perror` to indicate an unknown format letter for a given type.

Since: 4.7.0.0

errorShortFormat :: a

Calls `perror` to indicate that the format string ended early.

Since: 4.7.0.0

errorMissingArgument :: a

Calls `perror` to indicate that there is a missing argument in the argument list.

Since: 4.7.0.0

errorBadArgument :: a

Calls `perror` to indicate that there is a type error or similar in the given argument.

Since: 4.7.0.0

perror :: String -> a

Raises an `error` with a printf-specific prefix on the message string.

Since: 4.7.0.0

# Implementation Internals

These types are needed for implementing processing variable numbers of arguments to `printf` and `hPrintf`. Their implementation is intentionally not visible from this module. If you attempt to pass an argument of a type which is not an instance of the appropriate class to `printf` or `hPrintf`, then the compiler will report it as a missing instance of `PrintfArg`. (All `PrintfArg` instances are `PrintfType` instances.)

class PrintfType t

The `PrintfType` class provides the variable argument magic for `printf`. Its implementation is intentionally not visible from this module. If you attempt to pass an argument of a type which is not an instance of this class to `printf` or `hPrintf`, then the compiler will report it as a missing instance of `PrintfArg`.

Minimal complete definition

spr

Instances

IsChar c => PrintfType [c] |
(~) * a () => PrintfType (IO a) |
(PrintfArg a, PrintfType r) => PrintfType (a -> r) |

class HPrintfType t

The `HPrintfType` class provides the variable argument magic for `hPrintf`. Its implementation is intentionally not visible from this module.

Minimal complete definition

hspr

Instances

(~) * a () => HPrintfType (IO a) |
(PrintfArg a, HPrintfType r) => HPrintfType (a -> r) |

This class is needed as a Haskell98 compatibility workaround for the lack of FlexibleInstances.

class IsChar c where

This class, with only the one instance, is used as a workaround for the fact that `String`, as a concrete type, is not allowable as a typeclass instance. `IsChar` is exported for backward-compatibility.

Methods

toChar :: c -> Char

Since: 4.7.0.0

fromChar :: Char -> c

Since: 4.7.0.0

Instances

IsChar Char |