Numeral to String Formatting

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Introduction

Some powerful formatting features are available for formatting numerals by aligning them, specifying the separator symbols number of digits, negation, etc. For this, a pattern string, called a formatting template needs to be provided and is described in the following table.

The formatting template applies to following functions:

Formatting Templates

Formatting Template Description
* Only if used alone as single character: Generic output of number
# Placeholder for one digit. Meaningless zeros (i.e. leading zerosbefore decimal points, final ones after decimal points) are not shown.
0 Placeholder for one digit. Meaningless zeros are shown
? Placeholder for one digit. Meaningless zeros are shown with placeholder symbols (default: spaces)
* Asterisk is used as placeholder for entire number if:
1) no digit placeholders listed above are specified elsewhere,
2) it's the last asterisk in case more than one are encountered. Otherwise the asterisk will be treated as a given text.
, Thousand separator. Always use comma for this purpose. To use different symbols common in other countries, use the formatting option to specify the language, e.g. german for points.
. Decimal separator. Always use point for this purpose. To use different symbols common in other countries, use the formatting option to specify the language, e.g. german for commas.
- Minus signs will be displayed if the number is negative. The minus sign may be located anywhere, even after the number.
( ) Parentheses will be displayed if the number is negative.
[ ] Bracket will be displayed if the number is negative.
+ Displays a + if the number is positive and – (minus) if negative
_ Underscore prefix: If added in front of -, (, ), [, and ], blank or provided placeholder symbol is given out if number is positive in order to keep the other characters to the right aligned.
' ... ' Contents inside quotation marks are treated as given text, including spaces See 2
" ... " See above See 3
% Number will be multipled by 100 before displaying together with percent symbol
Number will be multipled by 1,000 before displaying together with permille symbol
Number will be multipled by 10,000 before displaying together with the parts-per-10,000 symbol
All other characters Treated as given text, including digits 1..9

2 Applicable outside double quotation marks, otherwise symbols are treated as given text
3 Applicable outside single quotation marks, otherwise symbols are treated as given text
Attention: If the formatting template contains neiter # nor *, then the resulting string contains no number.

Locales

Specify a supported locale name, a country name or a language name. See locales for an overview of supported locales. Choices are not case sensitive.

Examples: en_US, DE_at, France, German, local, none

Program Examples

A few loop show the combination of different values.

      numbers [] = { -1234, -0.29, 123456.78, 0 };
      patterns[] = { '*', 'EUR_-*', '0', '+ 0.0', '0000.0000', '?', '?.?', '#.#', '####.####', '0.####', '_(0.00)' };
      3rd p[] = { "", india, german, en_us, french, de_ch };
      4th p[] = { "", "",     "+",    "",      "",     ""     };

      for all parameters( numbers[], number[] )
      {
          for all parameters( patterns[], pattern[] )
          {
              for all parameters( 3rd p[], para 3[], index[] )
              {
                  para 4[] = 4th p[]{index[]};
                  if       (para 3[]   = '')  l[] = str( number[], pattern[] );
                  else: if (para 4[] = '')  l[] = str( number[], pattern[], para 3[] );
                  else:                     l[] = str( number[], pattern[], para 3[], para 4[] );
                  print( "'" + l[] + "', " );
              }
              echo;
          }
          echo;
      }
      echo( "Permille: ", str( 0.1234, '0.0 ‰') );
      echo( "Directory assistance (USA): ", str( 5551212, '"Dial 1-"000"-"0000') );
'-1234', '-1,234', '-1.234', '-1,234', '-1 234', '-1'234',
'EUR-1234', 'EUR-1,234', 'EUR-1.234', 'EUR-1,234', 'EUR-1 234', 'EUR-1'234',
'-1234', '-1,234', '-1.234', '-1,234', '-1 234', '-1'234',
'- 1234.0', '- 1,234.0', '- 1.234,0', '- 1,234.0', '- 1 234.0', '- 1'234.0',
'-1234.0000', '-1234.0000', '-1234,0000', '-1234.0000', '-1234.0000', '-1234.0000',
'-1234', '-1,234', '-1.234', '-1,234', '-1 234', '-1'234',
'-1234. ', '-1,234. ', '-1.234,+', '-1,234. ', '-1 234. ', '-1'234. ',
'-1234.', '-1,234.', '-1.234,', '-1,234.', '-1 234.', '-1'234.',
'-1234.', '-1234.', '-1234,', '-1234.', '-1234.', '-1234.',
'-1234.', '-1,234.', '-1.234,', '-1,234.', '-1 234.', '-1'234.',
'(1234.00)', '(1,234.00)', '(1.234,00)', '(1,234.00)', '(1 234.00)', '(1'234.00)',

'-0.29', '-0.29', '-0,29', '-0.29', '-0.29', '-0.29',
'EUR-0.29', 'EUR-0.29', 'EUR-0,29', 'EUR-0.29', 'EUR-0.29', 'EUR-0.29',
'-0', '-0', '-0', '-0', '-0', '-0',
'- 0.3', '- 0.3', '- 0,3', '- 0.3', '- 0.3', '- 0.3',
'-0000.2900', '-0000.2900', '-0000,2900', '-0000.2900', '-0000.2900', '-0000.2900',
'- ', '- ', '-+', '- ', '- ', '- ',
'- .3', '- .3', '-+,3', '- .3', '- .3', '- .3',
'-.3', '-.3', '-,3', '-.3', '-.3', '-.3',
'-.29', '-.29', '-,29', '-.29', '-.29', '-.29',
'-0.29', '-0.29', '-0,29', '-0.29', '-0.29', '-0.29',
'(0.29)', '(0.29)', '(0,29)', '(0.29)', '(0.29)', '(0.29)',

'123456.78', '1,23,456.78', '123.456,78', '123,456.78', '123 456.78', '123'456.78',
'EUR 123456.78', 'EUR 1,23,456.78', 'EUR+123.456,78', 'EUR 123,456.78', 'EUR 123 456.78', 'EUR 123'456.78',
'123457', '1,23,457', '123.457', '123,457', '123 457', '123'457',
'+ 123456.8', '+ 1,23,456.8', '+ 123.456,8', '+ 123,456.8', '+ 123 456.8', '+ 123'456.8',
'123456.7800', '1,23456.7800', '123456,7800', '123456.7800', '123456.7800', '123456.7800',
'123457', '1,23,457', '123.457', '123,457', '123 457', '123'457',
'123456.8', '1,23,456.8', '123.456,8', '123,456.8', '123 456.8', '123'456.8',
'123456.8', '1,23,456.8', '123.456,8', '123,456.8', '123 456.8', '123'456.8',
'123456.78', '1,23456.78', '123456,78', '123456.78', '123456.78', '123456.78',
'123456.78', '1,23,456.78', '123.456,78', '123,456.78', '123 456.78', '123'456.78',
' 123456.78', ' 1,23,456.78', '+123.456,78', ' 123,456.78', ' 123 456.78', ' 123'456.78',

'0', '0', '0', '0', '0', '0',
'EUR 0', 'EUR 0', 'EUR+0', 'EUR 0', 'EUR 0', 'EUR 0',
'0', '0', '0', '0', '0', '0',
'+ 0.0', '+ 0.0', '+ 0,0', '+ 0.0', '+ 0.0', '+ 0.0',
'0000.0000', '0000.0000', '0000,0000', '0000.0000', '0000.0000', '0000.0000',
' ', ' ', '+', ' ', ' ', ' ',
' . ', ' . ', '+,+', ' . ', ' . ', ' . ',
'.', '.', ',', '.', '.', '.',
'.', '.', ',', '.', '.', '.',
'0.', '0.', '0,', '0.', '0.', '0.',
' 0.00', ' 0.00', '+0,00', ' 0.00', ' 0.00', ' 0.00',

Permille: 123.4 ‰
Directory assistance (USA): Dial 1-555-1212
Try it yourself: Open LIB_Features_numeral_to_string_conversion_and_formatting.b4p in B4P_Examples.zip. Decompress before use.