scanf, wscanf

Read formatted data from the standard input stream.

int scanf( const char *format [,argument]... );

int wscanf( const wchar_t *format [,argument]... );

For additional compatibility information, see Compatibility in the Introduction.

Libraries

Return Value

Both scanf and wscanf return the number of fields successfully converted and assigned; the return value does not include fields that were read but not assigned. A return value of 0 indicates that no fields were assigned. The return value is EOF for an error or if the end-of-file character or the end-of-string character is encountered in the first attempt to read a character.

Parameters

format

Format control string

argument

Optional arguments

Remarks

The scanf function reads data from the standard input stream stdin and writes the data into the location given by argument. Each argument must be a pointer to a variable of a type that corresponds to a type specifier in format. If copying takes place between strings that overlap, the behavior is undefined.

wscanf is a wide-character version of scanf; the format argument to wscanf is a wide-character string. wscanf and scanf behave identically otherwise.

Generic-Text Routine Mappings

For more information, see Format Specification Fields — scanf functions and wscanf Functions.

Example

 /* SCANF.C: This program uses the scanf and wscanf functions
  * to read formatted input.
  */

#include <stdio.h>

void main( void )
{
   int   i, result;
   float fp;
   char  c, s[81];
   wchar_t wc, ws[81];

   printf( "\n\nEnter an int, a float, two chars and two strings\n");

   result = scanf( "%d %f %c %C %s %S", &i, &fp, &c, &wc, s, ws );
   printf( "\nThe number of fields input is %d\n", result );
   printf( "The contents are: %d %f %c %C %s %S\n", i, fp, c, wc, s, ws);

   wprintf( L"\n\nEnter an int, a float, two chars and two strings\n");

   result = wscanf( L"%d %f %hc %lc %S %ls", &i, &fp, &c, &wc, s, ws );
   wprintf( L"\nThe number of fields input is %d\n", result );
   wprintf( L"The contents are: %d %f %C %c %hs %s\n", i, fp, c, wc, s, ws);
}

Output

Enter an int, a float, two chars and two strings
71
98.6
h
z
Byte characters

The number of fields input is 6
The contents are: 71 98.599998 h z Byte characters

Enter an int, a float, two chars and two strings
36
92.3
y
n
Wide characters

The number of fields input is 6
The contents are: 456 92.300003 y n Wide characters

Floating-Point Support Routines, Stream I/O Routines, Locale Routines

See Also   fscanf, printf, sprintf, sscanf