PHP printf storing and outputting

Question

I know printf is use for outputing and sprintf is use for storing.

But in this code:

$str = printf('%.1f', 1.3);
echo $str;

Why does it output 1.33? I assume it would output 1.31.3?

Two decimal points? How so?

Aamir
– Aamir

2012-11-05 00:34:50 +00:00
Commented Nov 5, 2012 at 0:34 — Aamir
– Aamir, Commented Nov 5, 2012 at 0:34
That example looks like you want sprintf().

alex
– alex

2012-11-05 00:36:53 +00:00
Commented Nov 5, 2012 at 0:36 — alex
– alex, Commented Nov 5, 2012 at 0:36

raina77ow · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-05 00:43:41Z

6

printf function in PHP does, in fact, two things: prints its arguments (according to the format string, sent as the first one) AND returns the length of this printed string.

Usually the value returned by printf is not used - but not in this case. As (by format) printf here had to print '1.3' string (only one digit after the decimal point), its length is 3 - so it's stored in $str variable and gets printed in the next statement (with echo). So the whole output is '1.33'.

As a sidenote, this...

$str = print(1.3);
echo $str;

... prints '1.31', as print also does two things - prints its arguments AND returns 1.

edited Nov 5, 2012 at 0:43

answered Nov 5, 2012 at 0:36

raina77ow

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