Q61345: Differences Between FormatX$ Functions & PRINT USING Statement

Article: Q61345
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 7.00 7.10 | 7.00 7.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900305-84 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 27-JUL-1990

This article demonstrates the differences between the FormatX$
Add-On-Library (DTFMTxx.LIB) functions and the BASIC PRINT USING
statement, specifically in the case of the "#" character.

This information applies to Microsoft BASIC Professional Development
System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2. FormatX$
refers to the Add-On-Library functions FormatI$, FormatL$, FormatS$,
FormatD$, and FormatC$ found in BASIC PDS 7.00 and 7.10.

In the PRINT USING statement, the # sign is used in the string
identifier to specify a digit placeholder. If there isn't a digit in
that location, a space is put in its place. In the FormatX$ functions,
the # is also a placeholder. However, if there isn't a digit, the
location is not padded with a space.

The FormatX$ functions can be invoked from within the QB.EXE
environment by installing the DTFMTER.QLB Quick library. These
functions can be invoked from .EXE programs by linking in the
appropriate DTFMTxx.LIB library.

The FUNCTION declarations necessary for the FormatX$ functions are
contained in the FORMAT.BI include file, which can be included in your
source file as follows:

   REM $INCLUDE:'FORMAT.BI'

The syntax for the FormatX$ function(s) is as follows

   FORMATx$ (Variable, fmt$)

where:

1. "x" is the first letter of the data type being manipulated:

      Data Type           Syntax
      ---------           ------

      Integer             FORMATI$
      Long integer        FORMATL$
      Single precision    FORMATS$
      Double precision    FORMATD$
      Currency            FORMATC$

2. "Variable" is the variable to be manipulated.

3. "fmt$" is a string expression defining the output format.

The format for the PRINT USING statement is as follows

   PRINT USING fmt$; Variable [,Variable2...][,|;]

where:

1. "fmt$" is a string expression defining the output format.

2. "Variable" is an expression(s) to be manipulated.

3. "," or ";" are optional output choices to print next output
   immediately following. (Note that PRINT USING does not support
   "print zones.")

The following code example demonstrates the difference in the #
operand in the fmt$ argument for FORMATX$ versus PRINT USING:

   ' $INCLUDE: 'FORMAT.BI'
   A = 123.456
   B = 88.99

   ' ------  PRINT USING STATEMENTS:
   PRINT USING "#####.##";A
   PRINT USING "######.###";B
   PRINT

   ' ------  FORMATX$ STATEMENTS:
   PRINT FORMATS$(A,"#####.##")
   PRINT FORMATS$(B,"######.###";B
   END

The output will resemble the following:

     123.46
       88.990

   123.46
   88.99

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