Writing to the console in C

To write to the console in C programming language, you can use the printf() function. The printf() function takes a format string and a set of arguments as its arguments. The format string specifies the format of the output, and the arguments specify the values that will be formatted.

Displaying Text

#include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("Hello, World!\n"); return 0; }

In this example, the program uses printf to display the text "Hello, World!" to the console. The \n represents a newline character, which moves the cursor to the next line after printing.

Displaying Variables

#include <stdio.h> int main() { int age = 25; printf("Your age is: %d\n", age); return 0; }

Here, the program displays the value of the age variable using printf. The %d within the format string is a placeholder that gets replaced by the value of age when printing.

Formatting Numbers

#include <stdio.h> int main() { double pi = 3.14159; printf("The value of pi is approximately: %.2lf\n", pi); return 0; }

In this example, the program displays the value of the pi variable, a double-precision floating-point number, with two decimal places using %.2lf in the printf format string.

Using Escape Sequences

#include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("Newline: \nTab: \tBackslash: \\ Double quote: \"\n"); return 0; }

Escape sequences like \n (newline), \t (tab), \\ (backslash), and \" (double quote) can be used within the printf function to insert special characters into the output.

Formatting with Multiple Variables

#include <stdio.h> int main() { int num1 = 10, num2 = 20; printf("The sum of %d and %d is: %d\n", num1, num2, num1 + num2); return 0; }

In this example, the program displays the result of adding two numbers along with their values. Multiple variables can be formatted and displayed within a single printf statement.

Using Escape Characters

#include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("A backslash: \\\\ A single quote: \'\n"); return 0; }

When you need to display a backslash or a single quote character, you can use double backslashes (\\) or escape the single quote with \'.

The printf function is a powerful tool for formatting and displaying output in C programming. It allows you to customize how data is presented to the user and is essential for creating informative and user-friendly programs.

Conclusion

Writing to the console is achieved using the printf function, which allows you to display text, numbers, and formatted data to the screen. It employs format specifiers, like %d for integers or %.2lf for controlling decimal precision, within the format string to display variables and data with the desired formatting. This function is a fundamental tool for presenting information to the user in C programs.






Related Topics
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  2. C variable with examples
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  4. Expressions in C Programming
  1. C Programming Statements
  2. Constants in C
  3. Hello World Program in C
  4. Reading from the console in C program
  5. Format Specifiers in C