ft_printf

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Important Concepts
• Key Learning Outcomes
• Objectives
• Common Instructions
• Project Requirements
• Installation / Compile / Run
• Example Usage
• Additional Resources

Introduction

The ft_printf project aims to reimplement the standard C library function printf. It involves parsing a format string and handling various format specifiers to print different types of arguments. This project provides a deeper understanding of variadic functions, formatted output, and string manipulation in C.

Important Concepts

• Variadic Functions: Functions that accept a variable number of arguments, using stdarg.h.
• Format Specifiers: Characters that define the type and format of the data to be printed, such as %d for integers, %s for strings, etc.
• Buffer Management: Efficiently handling buffers to store the formatted output before printing.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Parsing Strings: Learn to parse and interpret format strings to identify and handle different format specifiers.
• Handling Variadic Arguments: Understand how to use va_list, va_start, va_arg, and va_end to handle variadic arguments.
• Formatted Output: Gain skills in formatting different types of data and managing output buffers.
• Error Handling: Develop strategies for managing errors and edge cases in string formatting and output.

Objectives

• Implement Basic Specifiers: Handle basic format specifiers like %c, %s, %d, %i, %u, %x, and %X.
• Advanced Specifiers: Implement more complex specifiers like %p for pointers and handle flags, width, and precision.
• Buffer Management: Implement efficient buffer management to construct the formatted string before output.
• Error Handling: Ensure robust error handling for invalid format strings and specifiers.

Common Instructions

• Code Norm: Adhere to the 42 coding standard.
• Memory Management: Properly manage all heap-allocated memory to avoid leaks.
• Makefile: Provide a Makefile with rules for all, clean, fclean, and re.
• No Global Variables: Use only local variables.

Project Requirements

The ft_printf function should mimic the behavior of the standard printf function. It should handle the following specifiers:

• %c: Character
• %s: String
• %p: Pointer
• %d/%i: Integer
• %u: Unsigned integer
• %x/%X: Hexadecimal

Installation / Compile / Run

1. ⬇️ Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/lbelet/printf.git
   cd ft_printf

2. 🔧 Compile the project:

   make

3. 🛠️ Compile with a test file:

   gcc -o test_ft_printf test_ft_printf.c libftprintf.a

4. ▶️ Run the test program:

   ./test_ft_printf

Example Usage

▶️ Example usage in a test program:

#include "ft_printf.h"

int main() {
    int num = 42;
    char *str = "Hello, World!";
    ft_printf("Number: %d, String: %s\n", num, str);
    return 0;
}

This will output:

  Number: 42, String: Hello, World!

Additional Resources

• Variadic Functions in C
• Format Specifiers
• Buffer Management in C