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SETLOCALE(3) BSD Library Functions Manual SETLOCALE(3) NAME setlocale, localeconv -- natural language formatting for C LIBRARY Standard C Library (libc, -lc) SYNOPSIS #include <locale.h> char * setlocale(int category, const char *locale); struct lconv * localeconv(void); DESCRIPTION The setlocale() function sets the C library's notion of natural language formatting style for particular sets of routines. Each such style is called a `locale' and is invoked using an appropriate name passed as a C string. The localeconv() routine returns the current locale's parameters for formatting numbers. The setlocale() function recognizes several categories of routines. These are the categories and the sets of routines they select: LC_ALL Set the entire locale generically. LC_COLLATE Set a locale for string collation routines. This controls alphabetic ordering in strcoll() and strxfrm(). LC_CTYPE Set a locale for the ctype(3), mbrune(3), multibyte(3) and rune(3) functions. This controls recognition of upper and lower case, alphabetic or non-alphabetic characters, and so on. The real work is done by the setrunelocale() function. LC_MESSAGES Set a locale for message catalogs, see catopen(3) function. LC_MONETARY Set a locale for formatting monetary values; this affects the localeconv() function. LC_NUMERIC Set a locale for formatting numbers. This controls the for- matting of decimal points in input and output of floating point numbers in functions such as printf() and scanf(), as well as values returned by localeconv(). LC_TIME Set a locale for formatting dates and times using the strftime() function. Only three locales are defined by default, the empty string "" which de- notes the native environment, and the "C" and "POSIX" locales, which de- note the C language environment. A locale argument of NULL causes setlocale() to return the current locale. By default, C programs start in the "C" locale. The only function in the library that sets the locale is setlocale(); the locale is never changed as a side effect of some other routine. The localeconv() function returns a pointer to a structure which provides parameters for formatting numbers, especially currency values: struct lconv { char *decimal_point; char *thousands_sep; 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 frac_digits; char p_cs_precedes; char p_sep_by_space; char n_cs_precedes; char n_sep_by_space; char p_sign_posn; char n_sign_posn; char int_p_cs_precedes; char int_n_cs_precedes; char int_p_sep_by_space; char int_n_sep_by_space; char int_p_sign_posn; char int_n_sign_posn; }; The individual fields have the following meanings: decimal_point The decimal point character, except for currency val- ues, cannot be an empty string. thousands_sep The separator between groups of digits before the dec- imal point, except for currency values. grouping The sizes of the groups of digits, except for currency values. This is a pointer to a vector of integers, each of size char, representing group size from low order digit groups to high order (right to left). The list may be terminated with 0 or CHAR_MAX. If the list is terminated with 0, the last group size before the 0 is repeated to account for all the digits. If the list is terminated with CHAR_MAX, no more grouping is performed. int_curr_symbol The standardized international currency symbol. currency_symbol The local currency symbol. mon_decimal_point The decimal point character for currency values. mon_thousands_sep The separator for digit groups in currency values. mon_grouping Like grouping but for currency values. positive_sign The character used to denote nonnegative currency val- ues, usually the empty string. negative_sign The character used to denote negative currency values, usually a minus sign. int_frac_digits The number of digits after the decimal point in an in- ternational-style currency value. frac_digits The number of digits after the decimal point in the local style for currency values. p_cs_precedes 1 if the currency symbol precedes the currency value for nonnegative values, 0 if it follows. p_sep_by_space 1 if a space is inserted between the currency symbol and the currency value for nonnegative values, 0 oth- erwise. n_cs_precedes Like p_cs_precedes but for negative values. n_sep_by_space Like p_sep_by_space but for negative values. p_sign_posn The location of the positive_sign with respect to a nonnegative quantity and the currency_symbol, coded as follows: 0 Parentheses around the entire string. 1 Before the string. 2 After the string. 3 Just before currency_symbol. 4 Just after currency_symbol. n_sign_posn Like p_sign_posn but for negative currency values. int_p_cs_precedes Same as p_cs_precedes, but for internationally format- ted monetary quantities. int_n_cs_precedes Same as n_cs_precedes, but for internationally format- ted monetary quantities. int_p_sep_by_space Same as p_sep_by_space, but for internationally for- matted monetary quantities. int_n_sep_by_space Same as n_sep_by_space, but for internationally for- matted monetary quantities. int_p_sign_posn Same as p_sign_posn, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities. int_n_sign_posn Same as n_sign_posn, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities. Unless mentioned above, an empty string as a value for a field indicates a zero length result or a value that is not in the current locale. A CHAR_MAX result similarly denotes an unavailable value. RETURN VALUES Upon successful completion, setlocale() returns the string associated with the specified category for the requested locale. The setlocale() function returns NULL and fails to change the locale if the given combi- nation of category and locale makes no sense. The localeconv() function returns a pointer to a static object which may be altered by later calls to setlocale() or localeconv(). ERRORS No errors are defined. FILES $PATH_LOCALE/locale/category /usr/share/locale/locale/category locale file for the locale locale and the category category. SEE ALSO colldef(1), mklocale(1), catopen(3), ctype(3), mbrune(3), multibyte(3), rune(3), strcoll(3), strxfrm(3), euc(5), utf2(5), utf8(5) STANDARDS The setlocale() and localeconv() functions conform to ISO/IEC 9899:1999 ("ISO C99"). HISTORY The setlocale() and localeconv() functions first appeared in 4.4BSD. BSD October 5, 2002 BSD
NAME | LIBRARY | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | RETURN VALUES | ERRORS | FILES | SEE ALSO | STANDARDS | HISTORY
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