Thread: string format specifier

I just have a question about the string ("%s") format specifier.

is it possible to limit the amount of characters printed with %s? for example, I tried this code, but it did not work, it printed the whole string:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
	char str[] = "blehbleh";
	printf("%4s", str);

	return 0;
}

is this possible, or am I just doing it wrong?

any help is appreciated. thank you in advance.

The number is a minimum. To limit the amount, you have to make a copy of the string and insert a NUL at the right place.

Indeed. Didn't know that.

Originally Posted by citizen

Not exactly true. You could do something like this.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

int main( ) {
    printf("%.4s\n", "bleh is a lousy word");
    return 0;
}

$ ./foo
bleh

Of course where you get the number is completely up to you, even if it's magic. You can write an asterisk instead: %.*s and specify one later in printf's argument list.

aha. you have to add the precision point. thats what was wrong, I wasn't adding it. thanks citizen .