Formatted and unformatted

Input/Output functions

By:
Pundreekaksha Sharma
Assistant Professor
CSE Deptt.
©LPU CSE101 C Programming
 Introduction
• Presentation of output is very important.
• Formatted functions scanf and printf :
– these functions input data from standard input
stream and
– output data to standard output stream.
• Include the header #include<stdio.h>

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 Standard I/O Functions
• There are many library functions available for
standard I/O.
• These functions are divided into two
categories:
–Unformatted functions
–Formatted functions

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 Formatted Functions
• With Formatted functions, input and output is
formatted as per our requirement
– For example, if different values are to be displayed, how
much field width i.e., how many columns on screen, is
to be used, and how much space between two values is
to be given. If a value to be displayed is of real type,
then how many decimal places to output
• Formatted functions are:
– printf()
– scanf()

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 Formatted output with printf function
• The printf() function: (Formatted output)
printf() is an output function that takes text and values from within
the program and sends it out onto the screen.
In general terms, the printf function is written as:
Syntax
printf(“format-control-string”, arg1,arg2,……….,argN);

• The format-control-string can contain:

– Characters that are simply printed as they are
– Conversion specifications that begin with a % sign
– Escape sequences that begin with a \ sign
 The arguments can be written as constants, single variable or array
names, or more complex expressions.

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 Example
printf(“Area of circle is %f units \
n”, area);
In this :-
“Area of circle is %f units \n”-is a
control string.
area - is a variable whose value will be printed.
%f- is the conversion specifier indicating the type of
corresponding value to be printed.

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 Formatted Functions
The scanf() function: (Formatted input)
scanf() is a function that reads data from the keyboard. It
interprets character input to the computer and stores the
interpretation in specified variable(s).
In general terms, the scanf function is written as:
Syntax
scanf (format-control-string, arg1, arg2,………., argN);

• The format-control-string can contain:

– Describes the format of the input.
– Conversion specifications that begin with a % sign.
• The arguments are the pointers to variables in which the input
will be stored.
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 Example:
scanf(“%s %d %f”, name, &age,
&salary);
In this :-
“%s %d %f”- is a control string.
name – is a string argument and it’s a array name
and implicit memory address reference.
age - is a decimal integer variable preceded by &.
salary - is floating-point value preceded by &.

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 Reading data
Conversion Specifier Description
d Read signed decimal integer
i Read a signed decimal integer
u Read an unsigned decimal integer
h or l Used before any integer conversion specifier to
indicate that a short or long integer is to be input,
respectively
e, E, f, g, G Read a floating-point value
c Read a character
s Read a string
p Read an address
% Skip the percent sign(%) in the input

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 #include <stdio.h>
int main( void )
{ int a, c;
float f;
char day[10];
printf( "Enter integers: " );
scanf( "%d %u", &a, &c);

printf( "Enter floating-point numbers:" );

scanf( "%f", &f);

printf( "%s", "Enter a string: " );

scanf( "%8s", day );
}

Enter integers: -89 23

Enter floating-point numbers:
1.34256
Enter a string:
monday

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 Output?
int main()
{
int a=123;
printf("*%06d*",a);
return 0;
}
A) *123*
B) *6123*
C) *000123*
D) *006123*

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 Output?
int main()
{
float a=654.123456f;
printf("%3.3f,%3.2f",a,a);
return 0;
}

A) 654,654
B) 654.123456,654.123456
C) 654.123,654.12
D) 654.000,654.00

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 Unformatted functions
• The unformatted functions work only with character data
type.
• They do not require format conversion symbol for formatting
of data types because they work only with character data type
• Unformatted functions are:
– getchar() and putchar()
– getch() and putch()
– gets() and puts()

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 Unformatted Functions
• C has three types of I/O functions:
i. Character I/O
ii. String I/O
iii. File I/O

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 getchar()
• This function reads a character-type data from
standard input.
• It reads one character at a time till the user
presses the enter key.
Syntax
Variable-name = getchar();

Example:
char c;
c = getchar();
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 #include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
char c;
printf(“enter a character”);
c=getchar();
printf(“c = %c ”,c);
}

Enter a character k
c = k

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 putchar()
• This function prints one character on the
screen at a time which is read by standard
input.
Syntax

putchar( variable name);

Example: char c= ‘c’;

putchar (c);

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 #include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
char ch;
printf(“enter a character: ”);
scanf(“%c”, ch);
putchar(ch);
}

enter a character: r
r

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 Output?
int main()
{
char ch='A';
ch=getchar();
putchar(ch);
return 0;
}//input= S

A) A
B) B
C) S
D) Compiler error

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 getch() & getche()
• These functions read any alphanumeric character
from the standard input device
• The character entered is not displayed by the getch()
function until enter is pressed
• The getche() accepts and displays the character.
• The getch() accepts but does not display the
character.
Syntax

getche();

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 #include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
printf(“Enter two alphabets:”);
getche();
getch();
}
Enter two alphabets a

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 putch()
This function prints any alphanumeric character
taken by the standard input device
Example:
#include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
char ch;
printf(“Press any key to continue”);
ch = getch();
printf(“ you pressed:”);
putch(ch);
}

Press any key to continue

You pressed : e

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 gets()
String I/O
• This function is used for accepting any string
until enter key is pressed (string will be
covered later)
Syntax
char str[length of string in number];
gets(str);

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 #include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
char ch[30];
printf(“Enter the string:”);
gets(ch);
printf(“Entered string: %s”, ch);
}

Enter the string: Use of data!

Entered string: Use of data!

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 puts()
• This function prints the string or character
array. It is opposite to gets()

Syntax
char str[length of string in number];
gets(str);
puts(str);

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 #include<stdio.h>
void main()
{
char ch[30];
printf(“Enter the string:”);
gets(ch);
puts(“Entered string:”);
puts(ch);
}

Enter the string: puts is in use

Entered string: puts is in use

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