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NAME
io_lib - IO Library Functions
DESCRIPTION
This module contains functions for converting to and from strings (lists of characters). They are used
for implementing the functions in the io module. There is no guarantee that the character lists returned
from some of the functions are flat, they can be deep lists. lists:flatten/1 can be used for flattening
deep lists.
DATA TYPES
chars() = [char() | chars()]
continuation()
A continuation as returned by fread/3.
depth() = -1 | integer() >= 0
fread_error() = atom
| based
| character
| float
| format
| input
| integer
| string
| unsigned
fread_item() = string() | atom() | integer() | float()
latin1_string() = [unicode:latin1_char()]
EXPORTS
nl() -> string()
Returns a character list which represents a new line character.
write(Term) -> chars()
write(Term, Depth) -> chars()
Types:
Term = term()
Depth = depth()
Returns a character list which represents Term. The Depth (-1) argument controls the depth of the
structures written. When the specified depth is reached, everything below this level is replaced
by "...". For example:
1> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9})).
"{1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}"
2> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}, 5)).
"{1,[2],[3],[...],...}"
print(Term) -> chars()
print(Term, Column, LineLength, Depth) -> chars()
Types:
Term = term()
Column = LineLength = integer() >= 0
Depth = depth()
Also returns a list of characters which represents Term, but breaks representations which are
longer than one line into many lines and indents each line sensibly. It also tries to detect and
output lists of printable characters as strings. Column is the starting column (1), LineLength the
maximum line length (80), and Depth (-1) the maximum print depth.
fwrite(Format, Data) -> chars()
format(Format, Data) -> chars()
Types:
Format = io:format()
Data = [term()]
Returns a character list which represents Data formatted in accordance with Format. See
io:fwrite/1,2,3 for a detailed description of the available formatting options. A fault is
generated if there is an error in the format string or argument list.
If (and only if) the Unicode translation modifier is used in the format string (i.e. ~ts or ~tc),
the resulting list may contain characters beyond the ISO-latin-1 character range (in other words,
numbers larger than 255). If so, the result is not an ordinary Erlang string(), but can well be
used in any context where Unicode data is allowed.
fread(Format, String) -> Result
Types:
Format = String = string()
Result = {ok,
InputList :: [fread_item()],
LeftOverChars :: string()}
| {more,
RestFormat :: string(),
Nchars :: integer() >= 0,
InputStack :: chars()}
| {error, {fread, What :: fread_error()}}
Tries to read String in accordance with the control sequences in Format. See io:fread/3 for a
detailed description of the available formatting options. It is assumed that String contains whole
lines. It returns:
{ok, InputList, LeftOverChars}:
The string was read. InputList is the list of successfully matched and read items, and
LeftOverChars are the input characters not used.
{more, RestFormat, Nchars, InputStack}:
The string was read, but more input is needed in order to complete the original format string.
RestFormat is the remaining format string, Nchars the number of characters scanned, and
InputStack is the reversed list of inputs matched up to that point.
{error, What}:
The read operation failed and the parameter What gives a hint about the error.
Example:
3> io_lib:fread("~f~f~f", "15.6 17.3e-6 24.5").
{ok,[15.6,1.73e-5,24.5],[]}
fread(Continuation, CharSpec, Format) -> Return
Types:
Continuation = continuation() | []
CharSpec = string() | eof
Format = string()
Return = {more, Continuation1 :: continuation()}
| {done, Result, LeftOverChars :: string()}
Result = {ok, InputList :: [fread_item()]}
| eof
| {error, {fread, What :: fread_error()}}
This is the re-entrant formatted reader. The continuation of the first call to the functions must
be []. Refer to Armstrong, Virding, Williams, 'Concurrent Programming in Erlang', Chapter 13 for a
complete description of how the re-entrant input scheme works.
The function returns:
{done, Result, LeftOverChars}:
The input is complete. The result is one of the following:
{ok, InputList}:
The string was read. InputList is the list of successfully matched and read items, and
LeftOverChars are the remaining characters.
eof:
End of file has been encountered. LeftOverChars are the input characters not used.
{error, What}:
An error occurred and the parameter What gives a hint about the error.
{more, Continuation}:
More data is required to build a term. Continuation must be passed to fread/3, when more data
becomes available.
write_atom(Atom) -> chars()
Types:
Atom = atom()
Returns the list of characters needed to print the atom Atom.
write_string(String) -> chars()
Types:
String = string()
Returns the list of characters needed to print String as a string.
write_string_as_latin1(String) -> latin1_string()
Types:
String = string()
Returns the list of characters needed to print String as a string. Non-Latin-1 characters are
escaped.
write_latin1_string(Latin1String) -> latin1_string()
Types:
Latin1String = latin1_string()
Returns the list of characters needed to print Latin1String as a string.
write_char(Char) -> chars()
Types:
Char = char()
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set.
write_char_as_latin1(Char) -> latin1_string()
Types:
Char = char()
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the Unicode character set.
Non-Latin-1 characters are escaped.
write_latin1_char(Latin1Char) -> latin1_string()
Types:
Latin1Char = unicode:latin1_char()
Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the ISO-latin-1 character
set.
indentation(String, StartIndent) -> integer()
Types:
String = string()
StartIndent = integer()
Returns the indentation if String has been printed, starting at StartIndent.
char_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a flat list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise it returns
false.
latin1_char_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a flat list of characters in the ISO-latin-1 range, otherwise it returns
false.
deep_char_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the Unicode range, otherwise it
returns false.
deep_latin1_char_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the ISO-latin-1 range, otherwise
it returns false.
printable_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a flat list of printable characters, otherwise it returns false.
What is a printable character in this case is determined by the +pc start up flag to the Erlang
VM. See io:printable_range/0 and erl(1).
printable_latin1_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a flat list of printable ISO-latin-1 characters, otherwise it returns
false.
printable_unicode_list(Term) -> boolean()
Types:
Term = term()
Returns true if Term is a flat list of printable Unicode characters, otherwise it returns false.