{"history":[],"article":{"id":"34c01776-afd4-483a-b99a-0a8187a9cc3c","title":"Printf (Unix)","slug":"printf-unix","content":":::summary\n**Name:** printf \n**Screenshot:** Printf-example-command.gif \n**Developer:** Various [open-source](https://bliptext.com/articles/open-source-software) and [commercial](https://bliptext.com/articles/commercial-software) developers \n**Operating System:** [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix) and [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix)-like \n**Platform:** [Cross-platform](https://bliptext.com/articles/cross-platform) \n**Genre:** [Command](https://bliptext.com/articles/command-computing) \n**License:** [coreutils](https://bliptext.com/articles/coreutils): [GPLv3+](https://bliptext.com/articles/gplv3) \n:::\n\n# \nIn [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix) and [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix)-like [operating systems](https://bliptext.com/articles/operating-system), **printf** is a [shell builtin](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-builtin) (and utility [program](https://bliptext.com/articles/computer-program) ) that formats and outputs text like the [same-named C function](https://bliptext.com/articles/printf).\nOriginally named for outputting to a [printer](https://bliptext.com/articles/printer-computing), it actually outputs to [standard output](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-output).\nThe [command](https://bliptext.com/articles/command-computing) accepts a format string, which specifies how to format values, and a list of values.\n[Characters](https://bliptext.com/articles/character-computing) in the format string are copied to the output verbatim except when a format specifier is found which causes a value to be output.\nIn addition to the standard format specifiers, causes the command to expand backslash [escape sequences](https://bliptext.com/articles/escape-sequence) (for example for [newline](https://bliptext.com/articles/newline)), and outputs an item that can be used as [shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-computing) input.\nThe format string is reused if there are more items than format specs.\nUnused format specs provide a zero value or [null string](https://bliptext.com/articles/empty-string).\n\n# History\nprintf is part of the [X/Open](https://bliptext.com/articles/x-open) Portability Guide since issue 4 of 1992.\nIt was inherited into the first version of POSIX.1 and the [Single Unix Specification](https://bliptext.com/articles/single-unix-specification).\nIt first appeared in [4.3BSD-Reno](https://bliptext.com/articles/berkeley-software-distribution).\nThe version of bundled in [GNU](https://bliptext.com/articles/gnu) [coreutils](https://bliptext.com/articles/coreutils) was written by David MacKenzie.\nIt has an extension for escaping strings in POSIX-shell format.\n\n# Examples\n> > >> 004 26305<< >> 006 6687<< >> 008 20170<< >> 009 28322<< >> 010 4400<<\nThis will print a directory listing, emulating 'ls':","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-26T12:20:45.057Z","updated_at":"2025-01-26T12:20:45.057Z","search_vector":"'printf':1 'unix':2","search_content":" \n**Name:** printf \n**Screenshot:** Printf-example-command.gif \n**Developer:** Various [open-source](https://bliptext.com/articles/open-source-software) and [commercial](https://bliptext.com/articles/commercial-software) developers \n**Operating System:** [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix) and [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix)-like \n**Platform:** [Cross-platform](https://bliptext.com/articles/cross-platform) \n**Genre:** [Command](https://bliptext.com/articles/command-computing) \n**License:** [coreutils](https://bliptext.com/articles/coreutils): [GPLv3+](https://bliptext.com/articles/gplv3) \n \n\n# \nIn [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix) and [Unix](https://bliptext.com/articles/unix)-like [operating systems](https://bliptext.com/articles/operating-system), **printf** is a [shell builtin](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-builtin) (and utility [program](https://bliptext.com/articles/computer-program) ) that formats and outputs text like the [same-named C function](https://bliptext.com/articles/printf).\nOriginally named for outputting to a [printer](https://bliptext.com/articles/printer-computing), it actually outputs to [standard output](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-output).\nThe [command](https://bliptext.com/articles/command-computing) accepts a format string, which specifies how to format values, and a list of values.\n[Characters](https://bliptext.com/articles/character-computing) in the format string are copied to the output verbatim except when a format specifier is found which causes a value to be output.\nIn addition to the standard format specifiers, causes the command to expand backslash [escape sequences](https://bliptext.com/articles/escape-sequence) (for example for [newline](https://bliptext.com/articles/newline)), and outputs an item that can be used as [shell](https://bliptext.com/articles/shell-computing) input.\nThe format string is reused if there are more items than format specs.\nUnused format specs provide a zero value or [null string](https://bliptext.com/articles/empty-string).\n\n# History\nprintf is part of the [X/Open](https://bliptext.com/articles/x-open) Portability Guide since issue 4 of 1992.\nIt was inherited into the first version of POSIX.1 and the [Single Unix Specification](https://bliptext.com/articles/single-unix-specification).\nIt first appeared in [4.3BSD-Reno](https://bliptext.com/articles/berkeley-software-distribution).\nThe version of bundled in [GNU](https://bliptext.com/articles/gnu) [coreutils](https://bliptext.com/articles/coreutils) was written by David MacKenzie.\nIt has an extension for escaping strings in POSIX-shell format.\n\n# Examples\n> > >> 004 26305 > 006 6687 > 008 20170 > 009 28322 > 010 4400<<\nThis will print a directory listing, emulating 'ls':","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}