THE WORLD'S LARGEST WEB DEVELOPER SITE

PHP Tutorial

PHP HOME PHP Intro PHP Install PHP Syntax PHP Comments PHP Variables PHP Echo / Print PHP Data Types PHP Strings PHP Numbers PHP Constants PHP Operators PHP If...Else...Elseif PHP Switch PHP Loops PHP Functions PHP Arrays PHP Superglobals

PHP Forms

PHP Form Handling PHP Form Validation PHP Form Required PHP Form URL/E-mail PHP Form Complete

PHP Advanced

PHP Date and Time PHP Include PHP File Handling PHP File Open/Read PHP File Create/Write PHP File Upload PHP Cookies PHP Sessions PHP Filters PHP Filters Advanced PHP JSON

PHP OOP

PHP What is OOP PHP Classes/Objects PHP Constructor PHP Destructor PHP Access Modifiers PHP Inheritance PHP Constants PHP Abstract Classes PHP Traits PHP Static Methods PHP Static Properties

MySQL Database

MySQL Database MySQL Connect MySQL Create DB MySQL Create Table MySQL Insert Data MySQL Get Last ID MySQL Insert Multiple MySQL Prepared MySQL Select Data MySQL Where MySQL Order By MySQL Delete Data MySQL Update Data MySQL Limit Data

PHP XML

PHP XML Parsers PHP SimpleXML Parser PHP SimpleXML - Get PHP XML Expat PHP XML DOM

PHP - AJAX

AJAX Intro AJAX PHP AJAX Database AJAX XML AJAX Live Search AJAX Poll

PHP Examples

PHP Examples PHP Quiz PHP Exercises PHP Certificate

PHP Reference

PHP Overview PHP Array PHP Calendar PHP Date PHP Directory PHP Error PHP Filesystem PHP Filter PHP FTP PHP JSON PHP Libxml PHP Mail PHP Math PHP Misc PHP MySQLi PHP Network PHP SimpleXML PHP Stream PHP String PHP Variable Handling PHP XML Parser PHP Zip PHP Timezones

PHP sprintf() Function

❮ PHP String Reference

Example

Replace the percent (%) sign by a variable passed as an argument:

<?php
$number = 9;
$str = "Beijing";
$txt = sprintf("There are %u million bicycles in %s.",$number,$str);
echo $txt;
?>
Try it Yourself »

Definition and Usage

The sprintf() function writes a formatted string to a variable.

The arg1, arg2, ++ parameters will be inserted at percent (%) signs in the main string. This function works "step-by-step". At the first % sign, arg1 is inserted, at the second % sign, arg2 is inserted, etc.

Note: If there are more % signs than arguments, you must use placeholders. A placeholder is inserted after the % sign, and consists of the argument- number and "\$". See example two.

Tip: Related functions: printf(), vprintf(), vsprintf(), fprintf() and vfprintf()


Syntax

sprintf(format,arg1,arg2,arg++)

Parameter Values

Parameter Description
format Required. Specifies the string and how to format the variables in it.

Possible format values:

  • %% - Returns a percent sign
  • %b - Binary number
  • %c - The character according to the ASCII value
  • %d - Signed decimal number (negative, zero or positive)
  • %e - Scientific notation using a lowercase (e.g. 1.2e+2)
  • %E - Scientific notation using a uppercase (e.g. 1.2E+2)
  • %u - Unsigned decimal number (equal to or greather than zero)
  • %f - Floating-point number (local settings aware)
  • %F - Floating-point number (not local settings aware)
  • %g - shorter of %e and %f
  • %G - shorter of %E and %f
  • %o - Octal number
  • %s - String
  • %x - Hexadecimal number (lowercase letters)
  • %X - Hexadecimal number (uppercase letters)

Additional format values. These are placed between the % and the letter (example %.2f):

  • + (Forces both + and - in front of numbers. By default, only negative numbers are marked)
  • ' (Specifies what to use as padding. Default is space. Must be used together with the width specifier. Example: %'x20s (this uses "x" as padding)
  • - (Left-justifies the variable value)
  • [0-9] (Specifies the minimum width held of to the variable value)
  • .[0-9] (Specifies the number of decimal digits or maximum string length)

Note: If multiple additional format values are used, they must be in the same order as above.

arg1 Required. The argument to be inserted at the first %-sign in the format string
arg2 Optional. The argument to be inserted at the second %-sign in the format string
arg++ Optional. The argument to be inserted at the third, fourth, etc. %-sign in the format string


Technical Details

Return Value: Returns the formatted string
PHP Version: 4+

More Examples

Example

Using the format value %f:

<?php
$number = 123;
$txt = sprintf("%f",$number);
echo $txt;
?>
Try it Yourself »

Example

Use of placeholders:

<?php
$number = 123;
$txt = sprintf("With 2 decimals: %1\$.2f
<br>With no decimals: %1\$u",$number);
echo $txt;
?>
Try it Yourself »

Example

A demonstration of all possible format values:

<?php
$num1 = 123456789;
$num2 = -123456789;
$char = 50; // The ASCII Character 50 is 2

// Note: The format value "%%" returns a percent sign
echo sprintf("%%b = %b",$num1)."<br>"; // Binary number
echo sprintf("%%c = %c",$char)."<br>"; // The ASCII Character
echo sprintf("%%d = %d",$num1)."<br>"; // Signed decimal number
echo sprintf("%%d = %d",$num2)."<br>"; // Signed decimal number
echo sprintf("%%e = %e",$num1)."<br>"; // Scientific notation (lowercase)
echo sprintf("%%E = %E",$num1)."<br>"; // Scientific notation (uppercase)
echo sprintf("%%u = %u",$num1)."<br>"; // Unsigned decimal number (positive)
echo sprintf("%%u = %u",$num2)."<br>"; // Unsigned decimal number (negative)
echo sprintf("%%f = %f",$num1)."<br>"; // Floating-point number (local settings aware)
echo sprintf("%%F = %F",$num1)."<br>"; // Floating-point number (not local sett aware)
echo sprintf("%%g = %g",$num1)."<br>"; // Shorter of %e and %f
echo sprintf("%%G = %G",$num1)."<br>"; // Shorter of %E and %f
echo sprintf("%%o = %o",$num1)."<br>"; // Octal number
echo sprintf("%%s = %s",$num1)."<br>"; // String
echo sprintf("%%x = %x",$num1)."<br>"; // Hexadecimal number (lowercase)
echo sprintf("%%X = %X",$num1)."<br>"; // Hexadecimal number (uppercase)
echo sprintf("%%+d = %+d",$num1)."<br>"; // Sign specifier (positive)
echo sprintf("%%+d = %+d",$num2)."<br>"; // Sign specifier (negative)
?>
Try it Yourself »

Example

A demonstration of string specifiers:

<?php
$str1 = "Hello";
$str2 = "Hello world!";

echo sprintf("[%s]",$str1)."<br>";
echo sprintf("[%8s]",$str1)."<br>";
echo sprintf("[%-8s]",$str1)."<br>";
echo sprintf("[%08s]",$str1)."<br>";
echo sprintf("[%'*8s]",$str1)."<br>";
echo sprintf("[%8.8s]",$str2)."<br>";
?>
Try it Yourself »

❮ PHP String Reference