io_lib (stdlib v3.15.2)
This module contains functions for converting to and from strings (lists of characters). They are used for implementing the functions in the io
module. There is no guarantee that the character lists returned from some of the functions are flat, they can be deep lists. Function lists:flatten/1
can be used for flattening deep lists.
Link to this section Summary
Functions
For details, see scan_format/2
.
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise false
.
Returns true
if Term
is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise false
.
Returns true
if Term
is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the ISO Latin-1 range, otherwise false
.
Returns a character list that represents Data
formatted in accordance with Format
. For a detailed description of the available formatting options, see io:fwrite/1,2,3
. If the format string or argument list contains an error, a fault is generated.
Tries to read String
in accordance with the control sequences in Format
. For a detailed description of the available formatting options, see io:fread/3
. It is assumed that String
contains whole lines.
This is the re-entrant formatted reader. The continuation of the first call to the functions must be []
. For a complete description of how the re-entrant input scheme works, see Armstrong, Virding, Williams: 'Concurrent Programming in Erlang', Chapter 13.
Returns the indentation if String
has been printed, starting at StartIndent
.
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of characters in the ISO Latin-1 range, otherwise false
.
Returns a character list that represents a new line character.
Returns a list of characters that represents Term
, but breaks representations longer than one line into many lines and indents each line sensibly. Also tries to detect and output lists of printable characters as strings.
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable ISO Latin-1 characters, otherwise false
.
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable characters, otherwise false
.
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable Unicode characters, otherwise false
.
Returns a list corresponding to the specified format string, where control sequences have been replaced with corresponding tuples. This list can be passed to
For details, see scan_format/2
.
Returns a character list that represents Term
. Option Depth
controls the depth of the structures written. When the specified depth is reached, everything below this level is replaced by "...
". Depth
defaults to -1, which means no limitation. Option CharsLimit
puts a soft limit on the number of characters returned. When the number of characters is reached, remaining structures are replaced by "...
". CharsLimit
defaults to -1, which means no limit on the number of characters returned.
Returns the list of characters needed to print atom Atom
.
Returns the list of characters needed to print atom Atom
. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set.
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the ISO Latin-1 character set.
Returns the list of characters needed to print Latin1String
as a string.
Returns the list of characters needed to print String
as a string.
Returns the list of characters needed to print String
as a string. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
Link to this section Types
-type chars() :: term().
Specs
chars() :: [char() | chars()].
-type chars_limit() :: term().
Specs
chars_limit() :: integer().
Specs
continuation()
A continuation as returned by fread/3
.
-type depth() :: term().
Specs
depth() :: -1 | non_neg_integer().
-type format_spec() :: term().
Specs
format_spec() :: #{control_char := char(), args := [any()], width := none | integer(), adjust := left | right, precision := none | integer(), pad_char := char(), encoding := unicode | latin1, strings := boolean()}.
Where:
control_char
is the type of control sequence:$P
,$w
, and so on.args
is a list of the arguments used by the control sequence, or an empty list if the control sequence does not take any arguments.width
is the field width.adjust
is the adjustment.precision
is the precision of the printed argument.pad_char
is the padding character.encoding
is set totrue
if translation modifiert
is present.strings
is set tofalse
if modifierl
is present.
-type fread_error() :: term().
Specs
fread_error() :: atom | based | character | float | format | input | integer | string | unsigned.
-type fread_item() :: term().
Specs
fread_item() :: string() | atom() | integer() | float().
-type latin1_string() :: term().
Specs
latin1_string() :: [unicode:latin1_char()].
Link to this section Functions
Specs
build_text(FormatList) -> chars() when FormatList :: [char() | format_spec()].
For details, see scan_format/2
.
char_list/1
Specs
char_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise false
.
deep_char_list/1
Specs
deep_char_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise false
.
Specs
deep_latin1_char_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the ISO Latin-1 range, otherwise false
.
format/2
Specs
Returns a character list that represents Data
formatted in accordance with Format
. For a detailed description of the available formatting options, see io:fwrite/1,2,3
. If the format string or argument list contains an error, a fault is generated.
If and only if the Unicode translation modifier is used in the format string (that is, ~ts
or ~tc
), the resulting list can contain characters beyond the ISO Latin-1 character range (that is, numbers > 255). If so, the result is still an ordinary Erlang string()
, and can well be used in any context where Unicode data is allowed.
Specs
format(Format, Data, Options) -> chars() when Format :: io:format(), Data :: [term()], Options :: [Option], Option :: {chars_limit, CharsLimit}, CharsLimit :: chars_limit().
Returns a character list that represents Data
formatted in accordance with Format
in the same way as fwrite/2
and format/2
, but takes an extra argument, a list of options.
Valid option:
{chars_limit, CharsLimit}
A soft limit on the number of characters returned. When the number of characters is reached, remaining structures are replaced by "
...
".CharsLimit
defaults to -1, which means no limit on the number of characters returned.
fread/2
Specs
fread(Format, String) -> Result when Format :: string(), String :: string(), Result :: {ok, InputList :: [fread_item()], LeftOverChars :: string()} | {more, RestFormat :: string(), Nchars :: non_neg_integer(), InputStack :: chars()} | {error, {fread, What :: fread_error()}}.
Tries to read String
in accordance with the control sequences in Format
. For a detailed description of the available formatting options, see io:fread/3
. It is assumed that String
contains whole lines.
The function returns:
{ok, InputList, LeftOverChars}
The string was read.
InputList
is the list of successfully matched and read items, andLeftOverChars
are the input characters not used.{more, RestFormat, Nchars, InputStack}
The string was read, but more input is needed to complete the original format string.
RestFormat
is the remaining format string,Nchars
is the number of characters scanned, andInputStack
is the reversed list of inputs matched up to that point.{error, What}
The read operation failed and parameter
What
gives a hint about the error.
Example:
3> io_lib:fread("~f~f~f", "15.6 17.3e-6 24.5").
{ok,[15.6,1.73e-5,24.5],[]}
fread/3
Specs
fread(Continuation, CharSpec, Format) -> Return when Continuation :: continuation() | [], CharSpec :: string() | eof, Format :: string(), Return :: {more, Continuation1 :: continuation()} | {done, Result, LeftOverChars :: string()}, Result :: {ok, InputList :: [fread_item()]} | eof | {error, {fread, What :: fread_error()}}.
This is the re-entrant formatted reader. The continuation of the first call to the functions must be []
. For a complete description of how the re-entrant input scheme works, see Armstrong, Virding, Williams: 'Concurrent Programming in Erlang', Chapter 13.
The function returns:
{done, Result, LeftOverChars}
The input is complete. The result is one of the following:
{ok, InputList}
The string was read.
InputList
is the list of successfully matched and read items, andLeftOverChars
are the remaining characters.eof
End of file was encountered.
LeftOverChars
are the input characters not used.{error, What}
An error occurred and parameter
What
gives a hint about the error.
{more, Continuation}
More data is required to build a term.
Continuation
must be passed tofread/3
when more data becomes available.
fwrite/2
Specs
Specs
fwrite(Format, Data, Options) -> chars() when Format :: io:format(), Data :: [term()], Options :: [Option], Option :: {chars_limit, CharsLimit}, CharsLimit :: chars_limit().
indentation/2
Specs
indentation(String, StartIndent) -> integer() when String :: string(), StartIndent :: integer().
Returns the indentation if String
has been printed, starting at StartIndent
.
Specs
latin1_char_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of characters in the ISO Latin-1 range, otherwise false
.
Specs
nl() -> string().
Returns a character list that represents a new line character.
print/1
Specs
print(Term) -> chars() when Term :: term().
Returns a list of characters that represents Term
, but breaks representations longer than one line into many lines and indents each line sensibly. Also tries to detect and output lists of printable characters as strings.
Column
is the starting column; defaults to 1.LineLength
is the maximum line length; defaults to 80.Depth
is the maximum print depth; defaults to -1, which means no limitation.
print/4
Specs
Specs
printable_latin1_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable ISO Latin-1 characters, otherwise false
.
printable_list/1
Specs
printable_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable characters, otherwise false
.
What is a printable character in this case is determined by startup flag +pc
to the Erlang VM; see io:printable_range/0
and erl(1)
.
Specs
printable_unicode_list(Term) -> boolean() when Term :: term().
Returns true
if Term
is a flat list of printable Unicode characters, otherwise false
.
Specs
scan_format(Format, Data) -> FormatList when Format :: io:format(), Data :: [term()], FormatList :: [char() | format_spec()].
Returns a list corresponding to the specified format string, where control sequences have been replaced with corresponding tuples. This list can be passed to:
build_text/1
to have the same effect asformat(Format, Args)
unscan_format/1
to get the corresponding pair ofFormat
andArgs
(with every*
and corresponding argument expanded to numeric values)
A typical use of this function is to replace unbounded-size control sequences like ~w
and ~p
with the depth-limited variants ~W
and ~P
before formatting to text in, for example, a logger.
Specs
unscan_format(FormatList) -> {Format, Data} when FormatList :: [char() | format_spec()], Format :: io:format(), Data :: [term()].
For details, see scan_format/2
.
Specs
write(Term) -> chars() when Term :: term().
Returns a character list that represents Term
. Option Depth
controls the depth of the structures written. When the specified depth is reached, everything below this level is replaced by "...
". Depth
defaults to -1, which means no limitation. Option CharsLimit
puts a soft limit on the number of characters returned. When the number of characters is reached, remaining structures are replaced by "...
". CharsLimit
defaults to -1, which means no limit on the number of characters returned.
Example:
1> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9})).
"{1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}"
2> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}, 5)).
"{1,[2],[3],[...],...}"
3> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({[1,2,3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}, [{chars_limit,20}])).
"{[1,2|...],[4|...],...}"
Specs
write(Term, Depth) -> chars() when Term :: term(), Depth :: depth(); (Term, Options) -> chars() when Term :: term(), Options :: [Option], Option :: {chars_limit, CharsLimit} | {depth, Depth} | {encoding, latin1 | utf8 | unicode}, CharsLimit :: chars_limit(), Depth :: depth().
write_atom/1
Specs
write_atom(Atom) -> chars() when Atom :: atom().
Returns the list of characters needed to print atom Atom
.
Specs
write_atom_as_latin1(Atom) -> latin1_string() when Atom :: atom().
Returns the list of characters needed to print atom Atom
. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
write_char/1
Specs
write_char(Char) -> chars() when Char :: char().
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set.
Specs
write_char_as_latin1(Char) -> latin1_string() when Char :: char().
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
Specs
write_latin1_char(Latin1Char) -> latin1_string() when Latin1Char :: unicode:latin1_char().
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the ISO Latin-1 character set.
Specs
write_latin1_string(Latin1String) -> latin1_string() when Latin1String :: latin1_string().
Returns the list of characters needed to print Latin1String
as a string.
write_string/1
Specs
write_string(String) -> chars() when String :: string().
Returns the list of characters needed to print String
as a string.
Specs
write_string_as_latin1(String) -> latin1_string() when String :: string().
Returns the list of characters needed to print String
as a string. Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.