# GNU autosprintf, version 1.0

## Formatted Output to Strings in C++

# Table of Contents

- 1 Introduction
- 2 The `autosprintf` class
- 3 Using `autosprintf` in own programs

# 1 Introduction

This package makes the C formatted output routines (`fprintf` et al.) usable in C++ programs, for use with the `<string>` strings and the `<iostream>` streams.

It allows to write code like

    cerr << autosprintf ("syntax error in %s:%d: %s", filename, line, errstring);

instead of

    cerr << "syntax error in " << filename << ":" << line << ": " << errstring;

The benefits of the autosprintf syntax are:

- It reuses the standard POSIX printf facility. Easy migration from C to C++.
- English sentences are kept together.
- It makes internationalization possible. Internationalization requires format strings, because in some cases the translator needs to change the order of a sentence, and more generally it is easier for the translator to work with a single string for a sentence than with multiple string pieces.
- It reduces the risk of programming errors due to forgotten state in the output stream (e.g. `cout << hex;` not followed by `cout << dec;`).

# 2 The `autosprintf` class

An instance of class `autosprintf` just contains a string with the formatted output result. Such an instance is usually allocated as an automatic storage variable, i.e. on the stack, not with `new` on the heap.

The constructor `autosprintf (const char *format, ...)` takes a format string and additional arguments, like the C function `printf`.

Conversions to `char *` and `std::string` are defined that return the encapsulated string.

The destructor `~autosprintf ()` destroys the encapsulated string.

An `operator <<` is provided that outputs the encapsulated string to the given `ostream`.

# 3 Using `autosprintf` in own programs

To use the `autosprintf` class in your programs, you need to add

    #include "autosprintf.h"
    using gnu::autosprintf;

to your source code. The include file defines the class `autosprintf`, in a namespace called `gnu`. The ``using´` statement makes it possible to use the class without the (otherwise natural) `gnu::` prefix.

When linking your program, you need to link with `libasprintf`, because that's where the class is defined. In projects using GNU `autoconf`, this means adding ``AC_LIB_LINKFLAGS([asprintf])´` to `configure.in` or `configure.ac`, and using the @LIBASPRINTF@ Makefile variable that it provides.

This document was generated on 18 January 2004 using the texi2html translator version 1.52a.