Format

Overview

The Format Node.

The Format Node receives a Pattern String that can contain format specifiers and data as a chosen number of parameters. It then outputs the String formatted with the parameters in place of the format specifiers. The format specifiers define the type of data that will fill them and the format the data will be shown in.

This Node is useful for when data needs to be presented within a text. For example, it can be utilized to show the current temperature. For this, we can use the Pattern String The current temperature is %.1f °C, where %.1f is the format specifier that indicates that a Float value with one decimal place will take that position in the final formatted String. The value of the current temperature has to be given to the Node as a Float value in the corresponding parameter Input Socket and then, if the current temperature is, say, 20.3 degrees Celsius, the formatted String that the Node outputs will be The current temperature is 20.3°C.

A more detailed description of format specifiers and usage examples of the Node can be found below.

Scope: Project, Scene, Function, Prefab.

Attributes

The Format Node Attributes.

Inputs

Attribute	Type	Description
Default Pattern	String	The Pattern String, if none is given in the Pattern Input Socket.

Arguments

Attribute	Type	Description
Parameter [n]	Drop-down	The parameter value, if none is given in the corresponding Input Socket.

Inputs

Input	Type	Description
Pulse Input (►)	Pulse	A standard Input Pulse, to trigger the execution of the Node.
Pattern	String	The Pattern String.
Parameter [n]	Drop-down	The parameter value.

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
Pulse Output (►)	Pulse	A standard Output Pulse, to move onto the next Node along the Logic Branch, once this Node has finished its execution.
Formatted	String	The formatted String, with the parameters replacing the format specifiers.

Format Specifiers

Format specifiers are part of the input Pattern String and they indicate the place and format in which the data will be displayed.

They are written in the form %[width][.precision]type, where width and precision are optional and type is mandatory:

• Width indicates the minimum number of characters to output, filling with blank spaces at the beginning when the data uses fewer characters. This is useful, for example, for when the number of digits in the input data can vary and we need to keep the data field aligned.

• Precision indicates a maximum number of characters to output, depending on the type that is used. For Floats, it indicates the maximum number of digits right of the decimal point to use; for Strings, it limits the number of characters to output, truncating the input String if it exceeds this number.

• Type indicates the Data Type with which the format specifier will be filled. The possible types are shown in the following table:

  Format specifier	Type
  %c	Character
  %d	Signed decimal integer
  %e	Scientific notation
  %f	Float
  %i	Integer
  %o	Unsigned octal
  %s	String
  %u	Unsigned decimal integer
  %x	Unsigned hexadecimal integer

Usage Examples

The following table shows several examples on how to use the Format Node, specifying the inputs (Pattern, Parameter1, Parameter2) and the output (Formatted).

Pattern	Parameter1	Parameter2	Formatted
The first letter of %s is %c	trees	trees	The first letter of trees is t
The numbers %d and %d are twin primes	101	103	The numbers 101 and 103 are twin primes
The number %.0f can be written as %.1e	25000000000	25000000000	The number 25000000000 can be written as 2.5e+10
The current speed is %3f km/h	99	-	The current speed is 99 km/h
The current temperature is %4.2f °C	25.4739	-	The current temperature is 25.47 °C
The number %i is a prime factor of %i	3037	6074	The number 3037 is a prime factor of 6074
Decimal number %u written as an octal is %o	9	9	Decimal number 9 written as an octal is 11
Decimal number %u written as an hexadecimal is %x	12	12	Decimal number 12 written as an hexadecimal is c

See Also

• FormatArray

External Links

• Printf Format String on Wikipedia.

• Printf on cplusplus.com.