LOCALECONV(3P) POSIX Programmer's Manual LOCALECONV(3P)
PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux
implementation of this interface may differ (consult the corresponding
Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface may
not be implemented on Linux.
NAME
localeconv - return locale-specific information
SYNOPSIS
#include <locale.h>
struct lconv *localeconv(void);
DESCRIPTION
The localeconv() function shall set the components of an object with
the type struct lconv with the values appropriate for the formatting of
numeric quantities (monetary and otherwise) according to the rules of
the current locale.
The members of the structure with type char * are pointers to strings,
any of which (except decimal_point) can point to "", 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} to indicate that the value is not available in the cur-
rent locale.
The members include the following:
char *decimal_point
The radix character used to format non-monetary quantities.
char *thousands_sep
The character used to separate groups of digits before the deci-
mal-point character in formatted non-monetary quantities.
char *grouping
A string whose elements taken as one-byte integer values indi-
cate 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 radix character used to format monetary quantities.
char *mon_thousands_sep
The separator for groups of digits before the decimal-point in
formatted monetary quantities.
char *mon_grouping
A string whose elements taken as one-byte integer values indi-
cate the size of each group of digits in formatted monetary
quantities.
char *positive_sign
The string used to indicate a non-negative valued formatted mon-
etary 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 after the decimal-point)
to be displayed in an internationally formatted monetary quan-
tity.
char frac_digits
The number of fractional digits (those after the decimal-point)
to be displayed in a formatted monetary quantity.
char p_cs_precedes
Set to 1 if the currency_symbol precedes the value for a non-
negative formatted monetary quantity. Set to 0 if the symbol
succeeds the value.
char p_sep_by_space
Set to a value indicating the separation of the currency_symbol,
the sign string, and the value for a non-negative formatted mon-
etary quantity.
char n_cs_precedes
Set to 1 if the currency_symbol precedes the value for a nega-
tive formatted monetary quantity. Set to 0 if the symbol suc-
ceeds the value.
char n_sep_by_space
Set to a value indicating the separation of the currency_symbol,
the sign string, and the value for a negative formatted monetary
quantity.
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 mon-
etary 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 internation-
ally 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 cur-
rent 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.
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.
The implementation shall behave as if no function in this volume of
IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 calls localeconv().
The localeconv() function need not be reentrant. A function that is not
required to be reentrant is not required to be thread-safe.
RETURN VALUE
The localeconv() function shall return a pointer to the filled-in
object. The application shall not modify the structure pointed to by
the return value which may be overwritten by a subsequent call to
localeconv(). In addition, calls to setlocale() with the categories
LC_ALL, LC_MONETARY, or LC_NUMERIC may overwrite the contents of the
structure.
ERRORS
No errors are defined.
The following sections are informative.
EXAMPLES
None.
APPLICATION USAGE
The following table illustrates the rules which may be used by four
countries to format monetary quantities.
Country Positive Format Negative Format International Format
Italy L.1.230 -L.1.230 ITL.1.230
Netherlands F 1.234,56 F -1.234,56 NLG 1.234,56
Norway kr1.234,56 kr1.234,56- NOK 1.234,56
Switzerland SFrs.1,234.56 SFrs.1,234.56C CHF 1,234.56
For these four countries, the respective values for the monetary mem-
bers of the structure returned by localeconv() are:
Italy Netherlands Norway Switzerland
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
RATIONALE
None.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSO
isalpha(), isascii(), nl_langinfo(), printf(), scanf(), setlocale(),
strcat(), strchr(), strcmp(), strcoll(), strcpy(), strftime(),
strlen(), strpbrk(), strspn(), strtok(), strxfrm(), strtod(), the Base
Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <langinfo.h>, <locale.h>
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
-- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the
event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online
at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
IEEE/The Open Group 2003 LOCALECONV(3P)