printf

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 only returns a string; it doesn't print to a filehandle. The format string contains text with embedded field specifiers into which the 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	Octal integer
  s	String
  u	Unsigned decimal integer
  x	Hexadecimal integer
  X	Hexadecimal integer with uppercase letters
  p	The Perl value's address in hexadecimal
  n	Special value that stores the number of characters output so far into the next variable in the parameter list