Question

Given the following printf statements:

printf("%3d", 0);
printf("%3d", 123456789);
printf("%3d", -10);
printf("%3d", -123456789);

What will be printed for each of these statements?

Answer 1

The printf %3d format specifier ensures a minimum field width of three characters for the output, but numbers wider than the specified width are printed as is, without truncation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The printf statements in the question are C language commands that specify how to format output to a display or other output streams. The %3d format specifier is used to print an integer in a field at least three characters wide. Here is what will be printed for each statement:

• For printf("%3d", 0); the output will be 0 (with two leading spaces to make the total width at least three characters).
• For printf("%3d", 123456789); the output will exceed the specified width and thus the integer will be printed as is: 123456789.
• For printf("%3d", -10); the output will be -10 (with one leading space).
• For printf("%3d", -123456789); the output will again exceed the width and the integer will be printed as is: -123456789.

The width specifier in the printf statement does not truncate numbers; it only ensures a minimum width for printing.