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scanf(3s)							     scanf(3s)

Name
       scanf, fscanf, sscanf - convert formatted input

Syntax
       #include < stdio.h >

       int scanf ( format [, pointer ] ...  )
       char *format;

       int fscanf ( stream, format [, pointer ] ...  )
       FILE *stream;
       char *format;

       int sscanf ( s, format [, pointer ] ...	)
       char *s, *format;

Description
       Each  function reads characters, interprets them according to a format,
       and stores the results in its arguments.	 Each expects, as arguments, a
       control	string,	 format,  and a set of pointer arguments that indicate
       where to store the converted input.  The function reads from the	 stan‐
       dard  input  stream  stdin.   The  function  reads from the named input
       stream.	The function reads from the character string s.

       In the format string you specify how to convert the input stream.   You
       may  use	 one  or  more	conversion  specifications  in a single format
       string, depending on the	 number	 of  pointer  arguments	 you  specify.
       Conversion  specifications are introduced by a percent sign and specify
       the format of one input field.  You may also  use  spaces,  tabs,  form
       feeds,  new-line	 characters, alphabetic characters, and numbers in the
       format string.  The following list describes conversion	specifications
       and the other components of a format string:

       ·    Conversion specifications have the following format:
	    %[*][w][l][h][code]
	    Each  conversion  specification  must  be  introduced by a percent
	    sign.  The rest of the conversion specification  is	 optional  and
	    has the following purpose:

       *    Specifies  that  an input field in the input string is not read by
	    that is, the function skips the field.

       w    Specifies the maximum field width.

       l    Specifies that the variable where the input value is stored	 is  a
	    longword  integer  or  a  double-precision	variable. The function
	    ignores the l if the input	field  is  a  character	 string	 or  a
	    pointer.

       h    Specifies  that  the variable where the input value is stored is a
	    short integer or floating-point variable.	The  function  ignores
	    the h if the input field is a character string or a pointer.

       type Specifies the conversion code.  Possible values for the conversion
	    code are described in the paragraphs that follow.

       ·    Alphabetic characters and numbers that appear  inside  the	format
	    string, but not in a conversion specification, specify that ignore
	    those characters in the input string.

       ·    The white-space characters in a format string that appear  outside
	    of	a conversion specification normally have no effect on how for‐
	    mats data.	The exception is when the white space  character  pre‐
	    cedes  the	c conversion code in the format string.	 In this case,
	    the white space causes to ignore leading white space in the	 input
	    field.   Normally, treats leading white space as part of the input
	    character string for the c conversion code.

       Each conversion specification in the format string directs the  conver‐
       sion  of	 the next input field.	The function stores the result of each
       conversion in the pointer that corresponds to the conversion specifica‐
       tion.   Thus,  the  conversion  specification controls how converts the
       first unread input field, and stores the result in the  first  pointer.
       The  second  conversion	specification  controls	 how converts the next
       input field.  The function stores the result of the  second  conversion
       in the second pointer, and so on.

       You  do not include pointers for conversion specifications that contain
       the asterisk character.	These specifications cause to ignore an	 input
       field, so no pointer storage is needed.

       An  input  field	 is  defined  as  a string of non-space characters; it
       begins at the first unread character and extends to the first  inappro‐
       priate  character or EOF. An inappropriate character is one that is not
       valid for the value is reading.	 For  example,	the  letter  ``z''  is
       invalid	for  an integer value.	If the function does not reach EOF and
       encounters no inappropriate characters, the field width is  the	number
       of  characters  specified  by w.	 For all conversion codes except left-
       bracket ( [) and c, ignores leading white space in an input field.

       The conversion code controls how converts an  input  field.   The  data
       type  of	 a pointer that corresponds to a conversion specification must
       match the conversion code.  For example, the pointer  that  corresponds
       to  a c conversion code must point to a character variable. The pointer
       that corresponds to a d conversion code must point to an	 integer,  and
       so on. The following list describes the valid conversion codes:

       %      The  input  field	 is a percent sign. The function does not move
	      any value to pointer.

       d D    The input field is a decimal integer; the corresponding  pointer
	      must  point to an integer.  If you specify h , pointer can point
	      to a short integer.

       u U    The input field is a decimal integer; pointer must point	to  an
	      unsigned integer.

       o 0    The  input field is octal integer is expected; the corresponding
	      pointer must point to an integer.	 If you specify	 h  ,  pointer
	      can be a short integer.

       x X    The  input  field	 is  a	hexadecimal integer; the corresponding
	      pointer must point to an integer pointer.	  If  you  specify  h,
	      pointer can be a short integer.

       e,f,g  The  input  field	 is an optionally signed string of digits. The
	      field may contain a radix character and an exponent field begins
	      with  a letter E or e, followed by an optional sign or space and
	      an integer.  The pointer must point to  a	 floating-point	 vari‐
	      able.   If  you specify l, pointer must point to a double-preci‐
	      sion variable.

       s      The input field is a character string.  The pointer  must	 point
	      to an array of characters large enough to contain the string and
	      a termination character (\0). The function adds the  termination
	      character automatically.	A white-space character terminates the
	      input field, so the input field cannot contain spaces.

       c      The input field is a character or character string.  The pointer
	      must point to either a character variable or a character array.

	      The  function  reads  white  space in the input field, including
	      leading white space.  To cause to ignore white  space,  you  can
	      include  a  space	 in front of the conversion specification that
	      includes the c.

       [      The input field is a character string.  The pointer  must	 point
	      to an array of characters large enough to contain the string and
	      a termination character (\0). The function adds the  termination
	      character automatically.

	      Following the left bracket, you specify a list of characters and
	      a right bracket ( ] ).  The function reads the input field until
	      it  encounters  a	 character other than those listed between the
	      brackets.	 The function ignores white-space characters.

	      You can change the meaning of the characters within the brackets
	      by including a circumflex (^) character before the list of char‐
	      acters. The circumflex causes to read the input field  until  it
	      encounters one of the characters in the list.

	      You  can represent a range of characters by specifying the first
	      character, a hyphen (-), and the last character.	 For  example,
	      you can express [0123456789] using [0-9].	 When you use a hyphen
	      to represent a range of  characters,  the	 first	character  you
	      specify must precede or be equal to the last character you spec‐
	      ify in the current collating sequence.  If  the  last  character
	      sorts  before the first character, the hyphen stands for itself.
	      The hyphen also stands for itself when it is the	first  or  the
	      last character that appears within the brackets.

	      To  include  the	right square bracket as a character within the
	      list, put the right bracket first in the	list.	If  the	 right
	      bracket  is preceded by any character other than the circumflex,
	      interprets it as a closing bracket.

	      At least one input character must be valid for  this  conversion
	      to be considered successful.

       i      The input field is an integer.  If the field begins with a zero,
	      interprets it as an octal	 value.	  If  the  field  begins  with
	      ``0X''  or  ``0x,	 interprets  it	 as  a hexadecimal value.  The
	      pointer must point to an integer.	 If you specify h, pointer can
	      point to a short integer.

       n      The  function  maintains	a running total of the number of input
	      fields it has read so far.  This conversion code causes to store
	      that total in the integer that corresponds to pointer.

       p      The  input  field	 is  a	pointer.  The pointer must point to an
	      integer variable.

       In all cases, uses the radix character and collating sequence  that  is
       defined by the last successful call to category or If the radix or col‐
       lating sequence is undefined, the function uses the  C  locale  defini‐
       tions.

   International Environment
       LC_NUMERIC     If  this environment is set and valid, uses the interna‐
		      tional language database	named  in  the	definition  to
		      determine radix character rules.

       LANG	      If  this	environment variable is set and valid uses the
		      international language database named in the  definition
		      to  determine  collation	and  character	classification
		      rules.  If is defined,  its  definition  supersedes  the
		      definition of LANG.

Restrictions
       You  cannot  directly  determine whether conversion codes that cause to
       ignore data (for example, brackets and asterisks) succeeded.

       The function ignores any trailing white-space characters,  including  a
       newline	character.  If you want to read a trailing white-space charac‐
       ter, include the character in the conversion code  for  the  data  item
       that contains it.

       The (libc) has been updated.  The %n code now processes even if no fur‐
       ther input remains to be scanned.

Examples
       The following shows an example of calling the function:
       int i, n; float x; char name[50];

       n = scanf("%d%f%s", &i, &x, name);
       Suppose the input to the function appear as follows:
       25 54.32E-1 thompson
       In this case, assigns the value 25 to the  i  variable  and  the	 value
       5.432  to  the  x  variable.   The character variable name receives the
       value thompson\0.  The function returns the value 3 to the  n  variable
       because it read and assigned three input fields.

       The following example demonstrates using the d conversion code to cause
       to ignore characters:
       int i; float x; char name[5];

       scanf("%2d%f %*d %[0-9]", &i, &x, name);
       Suppose the following shows the input to the function:
       56789 0123 56a72
       In this case, the function assigns the value 56 to the i	 variable  and
       the value 789.0 to the x variable.  The function ignores the 0123 input
       field, because the %*d conversion  specification	 causes	 to  skip  one
       input  field.   The function assigns 56 to name; it reads the first two
       characters in the last input field and stops at	the  third  character.
       The letter 'a' is not in the set of characters from 0 to 9.

Return Values
       The  function  returns  the number of successfully matched and assigned
       input fields.  This number can  be  zero	 if  the  function  encounters
       invalid input characters, as specified by the conversion specification,
       before it can assign input characters.

       If the input ends before the first conflict or conversion, returns EOF.
       These  functions return EOF on end of input and a short count for miss‐
       ing or invalid data items.

Environment
       In POSIX mode, the E, F, and X formats are treated the same as  the  e,
       f,  and	x  formats,  respectively;  otherwise,	the upper-case formats
       expect double, double, and long arguments, respectively.

See Also
       atof(3), nl_scanf(3int), getc(3s), printf(3s), environ(5int)
       Guide to Developing International Software

								     scanf(3s)
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