Tribblix: manual page: localeconv.3c

LOCALECONV(3C) Standard C Library Functions LOCALECONV(3C)

NAME

localeconv, localeconv_l - get numeric formatting information

SYNOPSIS

#include <locale.h>

struct lconv *localeconv(void);

#include <xlocale.h>

struct lconv *localeconv_l(locale_t locR);

DESCRIPTION

The localeconv() and localeconv_l() functions set the components of
an object with type struct lconv (defined in <locale.h>) with locale-
specific values appropriate for the formatting of numeric quantities
(monetary and otherwise). The localeconv() function uses the current
locale (see setlocale(3C) and uselocale(3C)), while localeconv_l uses
the locale identified by the argument loc. The definition of struct
lconv is given below (the values for the fields in the "C" locale are
given in comments).

char *decimal_point; /* "." */
char *thousands_sep; /* "" (zero length string) */
char *grouping; /* "" */
char *int_curr_symbol; /* "" */
char *currency_symbol; /* "" */
char *mon_decimal_point; /* "" */
char *mon_thousands_sep; /* "" */
char *mon_grouping; /* "" */
char *positive_sign; /* "" */
char *negative_sign; /* "" */
char int_frac_digits; /* CHAR_MAX */
char frac_digits; /* CHAR_MAX */
char p_cs_precedes; /* CHAR_MAX */
char p_sep_by_space; /* CHAR_MAX */
char n_cs_precedes; /* CHAR_MAX */
char n_sep_by_space; /* CHAR_MAX */
char p_sign_posn; /* CHAR_MAX*/
char n_sign_posn; /* CHAR_MAX */

The following members are also available to SUSv3-conforming
applications. See standards(7)

char int_p_cs_precedes; /* CHAR_MAX */
char int_p_sep_by_space; /* CHAR_MAX */
char int_n_cs_precedes; /* CHAR_MAX */
char int_n_sep_by_space; /* CHAR_MAX */
char int_p_sign_posn; /* CHAR_MAX */
char int_n_sign_posn; /* CHAR_MAX */

The members of the structure with type char * are strings, any of
which (except decimal_point) can point to a null string (""), to
indicate that the value is not available in the current locale or is
of zero length. The members with type char are non-negative numbers,
any of which can be CHAR_MAX (defined in the <limits.h> header) to
indicate that the value is not available in the current locale. The
members are the following:

char *decimal_point
The decimal-point character used to format
non-monetary quantities.

char *thousands_sep
The character used to separate groups of
digits to the left of the decimal-point
character in formatted non-monetary
quantities.

char *grouping
A string whose elements taken as one-byte
integer values indicate the size of each
group of digits in formatted non-monetary
quantities.

char *int_curr_symbol
The international currency symbol
applicable to the current locale. The
first three characters contain the
alphabetic international currency symbol
in accordance with those specified in the
ISO 4217: 1995 standard. The fourth
character (immediately preceding the null
byte) is the character used to separate
the international currency symbol from the
monetary quantity.

char *currency_symbol
The local currency symbol applicable to
the current locale.

char *mon_decimal_point
The decimal point used to format monetary
quantities.

char *mon_thousands_sep
The separator for groups of digits to the
left of the decimal point in formatted
monetary quantities.

char *mon_grouping
A string whose elements taken as one-byte
integer values indicate the size of each
group of digits in formatted monetary
quantities.

char *positive_sign
The string used to indicate a non-
negative-valued formatted monetary
quantity.

char *negative_sign
The string used to indicate a negative-
valued formatted monetary quantity.

char int_frac_digits
The number of fractional digits (those to
the right of the decimal point) to be
displayed in an internationally formatted
monetary quantity.

char frac_digits
The number of fractional digits (those to
the right of the decimal point) to be
displayed in a formatted monetary
quantity.

char p_cs_precedes
Set to 1 or 0 if the currency_symbol
respectively precedes or succeeds the
value for a non-negative formatted
monetary quantity.

char p_sep_by_space
Set to 0 if no space separates the
currency_symbol or int_curr_symbol from
the value for a non-negative formatted
monetary quantity. Set to 1 if a space
separates the symbol from the value; and
set to 2 if a space separates the symbol
and the sign string, if adjacent.

char n_cs_precedes
Set to 1 or 0 if the currency_symbol
respectively precedes or succeeds the
value for a negative formatted monetary
quantity.

char n_sep_by_space
Set to 0 if no space separates the
currency_symbol or int_curr_symbol from
the value for a negative formatted
monetary quantity. Set to 1 if a space
separates the symbol from the value; and
set to 2 if a space separates the symbol
and the sign string, if adjacent.

char p_sign_posn
Set to a value indicating the positioning
of the positive_sign for a non-negative
formatted monetary quantity.

char n_sign_posn
Set to a value indicating the positioning
of the negative_sign for a negative
formatted monetary quantity.

char int_p_cs_precedes
Set to 1 or 0 if the int_curr_symbol
respectively precedes or succeeds the
value for a non-negative internationally
formatted monetary quantity.

char int_n_cs_precedes
Set to 1 or 0 if the int_curr_symbol
respectively precedes or succeeds the
value for a negative internationally
formatted monetary quantity.

char int_p_sep_by_space
Set to a value indicating the separation
of the int_curr_symbol, the sign string,
and the value for a non-negative
internationally formatted monetary
quantity.

char int_n_sep_by_space
Set to a value indicating the separation
of the int_curr_symbol, the sign string,
and the value for a negative
internationally formatted monetary
quantity.

char int_p_sign_posn
Set to a value indicating the positioning
of the positive_sign for a non-negative
internationally formatted monetary
quantity.

char int_n_sign_posn
Set to a value indicating the positioning
of the negative_sign for a negative
internationally formatted monetary
quantity.

The elements of grouping and mon_grouping are interpreted according
to the following:

{CHAR_MAX}
No further grouping is to be performed.

0
The previous element is to be repeatedly used for the
remainder of the digits.

other
The integer value is the number of digits that comprise
the current group. The next element is examined to
determine the size of the next group of digits before
the current group.

The values of p_sep_by_space, n_sep_by_space, int_p_sep_by_space, and
int_n_sep_by_space are interpreted according to the following:

0
No space separates the currency symbol and value.

1
If the currency symbol and sign string are adjacent, a space
separates them from the value; otherwise, a space separates the
currency symbol from the value.

2
If the currency symbol and sign string are adjacent, a space
separates them; otherwise, a space separates the sign string
from the value.

In an SUSv3-conforming application, for int_p_sep_by_space and
int_n_sep_by_space, the fourth character of int_curr_symbol is used
instead of a space.

The values of p_sign_posn, n_sign_posn, int_p_sign_posn, and
int_n_sign_posn are interpreted according to the following:

0
Parentheses surround the quantity and currency_symbol or
int_curr_symbol.

1
The sign string precedes the quantity and currency_symbol or
int_curr_symbol.

2
The sign string succeeds the quantity and currency_symbol or
int_curr_symbol.

3
The sign string immediately precedes the currency_symbol or
int_curr_symbol.

4
The sign string immediately succeeds the currency_symbol or
int_curr_symbol.

RETURN VALUES

The localeconv() and localeconv_l() functions each return a pointer
to a filled-in struct lconv. While it is not declared const, the
structure should not be modified by the application. The structure
returned by localeconv() may, however, be overwritten by a subsequent
call to localeconv() or setlocale(3C). The structure returned by
localeconv_l() may be overwritten, freed, or otherwise invalidated if
the locale_t argument loc is freed.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Rules used by four countries to format monetary quantities.

The following table illustrates the rules used by four countries to
format monetary quantities.

Country | Positive | Negative | International
-----------------+---------------+----------------+---------------
Italy (IT) | L.1.234 | -L.1.234 | ITL.1.234
-----------------+---------------+----------------+---------------
Netherlands (NE) | F 1.234,56 | F -1.234,56 | NLG 1.234,56
-----------------+---------------+----------------+---------------
Norway (NO) | kr1.234,56 | kr1.234,56- | NOK 1.234,56
-----------------+---------------+----------------+---------------
Switzerland (SW) | SFrs.1,234.56 | SFrs.1,234.56C | CHF 1,234.56

For these four countries, the respective values for the monetary
members of the structure returned by localeconv() are as follows:

IT NE NO SW
int_curr_symbol "ITL." "NLG " "NOK " "CHF "
currency_symbol "L." "F" "kr" "SFrs."
mon_decimal_point "" "," "," "."
mon_thousands_sep "." "." "." ","
mon_grouping "\3" "\3" "\3" "\3"
positive_sign "" "" "" ""
negative_sign "-" "-" "-" "C"
int_frac_digits 0 2 2 2
frac_digits 0 2 2 2
p_cs_precedes 1 1 1 1
p_sep_by_space 0 1 0 0
n_cs_precedes 1 1 1 1
n_sep_by_space 0 1 0 0
p_sign_posn 1 1 1 1
n_sign_posn 1 4 2 2
int_p_cs_precedes 1 1 1 1
int_n_cs_precedes 1 1 1 1
int_p_sep_by_space 0 0 0 0
int_n_sep_by_space 0 0 0 0
int_p_sign_posn 1 1 1 1
int_n_sign_posn 1 4 4 2

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:

+--------------------+-------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+--------------------+-------------------------+
|CSI | Enabled |
+--------------------+-------------------------+
|Interface Stability | Standard |
+--------------------+-------------------------+
|MT-Level | MT-Safe with exceptions |
+--------------------+-------------------------+

The localeconv() function can be used safely in multithreaded
applications, as long as setlocale(3C) is not being called to change
the locale. The localeconv_l() function and the object it returns
can be used safely in multithreaded applications as long as the loc
argument is not freed, such as by another thread calling
freelocale(3C) or newlocale(3C).