MATLAB Programming Fundamentals - MathWorks

Formatting Operator Description

%3$*6$.*7$f 3$ specifies the third input argument, pi,

as the value

*6$ specifies the sixth input argument, 6 ,

as the field width

.*7$ specifies the seventh input argument,

4 , as the precision

Restrictions on Using Identifiers

If any of the formatting operators include an identifier field, then all the operators in the

format specifier must include identifier fields. If you use both sequential and

nonsequential ordering in the same function call, then the output is truncated at the first

switch between sequential and nonsequential identifiers.

Valid Syntax Invalid Syntax

sprintf('%d %d %d %d',...
1,2,3,4)

ans =

'1 2 3 4'

sprintf('%d %3$d %d %d',...

1,2,3,4)

ans =

'1 '

If your function call provides more input arguments than there are formatting operators

in the format specifier, then the operators are reused. However, only function calls that

use sequential ordering reuse formatting operators. You cannot reuse formatting

operators when you use numbered identifiers.

Valid Syntax Invalid Syntax

sprintf('%d',1,2,3,4)

ans =

'1234'

sprintf('%1$d',1,2,3,4)

ans =

'1'

If you use numbered identifiers when the input data is a vector or array, then the output

does not contain formatted data.

Formatting Text