printf (Unix)

printf
Developer(s)	Various open-source and commercial developers
Operating system	Unix and Unix-like
Platform	Cross-platform
Type	Command
License	coreutils: GPLv3+

In Unix and Unix-like operating systems, printf is a shell builtin (and utility program^[2]) that formats and outputs text like the same-named C function.

Originally named for outputting to a printer, it actually outputs to standard output.^[3]

The command accepts a format string, which specifies how to format values, and a list of values.

Characters in the format string are copied to the output verbatim except when a format specifier is found which causes a value to be output.

In addition to the standard format specifiers, %b causes the command to expand backslash escape sequences (for example \n for newline), and %q outputs an item that can be used as shell input.^[3] The format string is reused if there are more items than format specs. Unused format specs provide a zero value or null string.

History

printf is part of the X/Open Portability Guide since issue 4 of 1992. It was inherited into the first version of POSIX.1 and the Single Unix Specification.^[4] It first appeared in 4.3BSD-Reno.^[5]

The version of printf bundled in GNU coreutils was written by David MacKenzie. It has an extension %q for escaping strings in POSIX-shell format.^[3]

Examples

$ for NUMBER in  4 6 8 9 10
> do printf " >> %03d %d<< \n" $NUMBER $RANDOM
> done
 >> 004 26305<<
 >> 006 6687<<
 >> 008 20170<<
 >> 009 28322<<
 >> 010 4400<<

This will print a directory listing, emulating 'ls':

$ printf "%s\n" *

References

^ "printf(1): format/print data - Linux man page". linux.die.net.
^ "GNU Coreutils". www.gnu.org.
^ ^a ^b ^c printf(1) – Linux User Manual – User Commands
^ printf – Shell and Utilities Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 4 from The Open Group
^ printf(1) – FreeBSD General Commands Manual

External links

≥

[coreutils-1] "printf(1): format/print data - Linux man page". linux.die.net.

[2] "GNU Coreutils". www.gnu.org.

[:0-3] printf(1) – Linux User Manual – User Commands

[4] printf – Shell and Utilities Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 4 from The Open Group

[5] printf(1) – FreeBSD General Commands Manual

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Categories Standard Unix programs Unix SUS2008 utilities List

History

Examples

See also

References

External links