String formatting (sprintf) in MATLAB - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the sprintf function do in MATLAB?

It creates a formatted string using specified format specifiers and input values, without displaying it on the screen.

beginner

How do you format a floating-point number to show 2 decimal places using sprintf?

Use the format specifier %.2f. For example, sprintf('%.2f', 3.14159) returns '3.14'.

beginner

What is the difference between sprintf and fprintf in MATLAB?

sprintf returns a formatted string without printing it, while fprintf prints the formatted string directly to the command window or a file.

intermediate

How can you include a literal percent sign (%) in a string formatted by sprintf?

Use %% in the format string. For example, sprintf('Progress: 50%% complete') returns 'Progress: 50% complete'.

intermediate

Explain how to format an integer with leading zeros using sprintf.

Use a format specifier like %05d to pad the integer with zeros to a width of 5. For example, sprintf('%05d', 42) returns '00042'.

Which sprintf format specifier would you use to display a number with exactly 3 decimal places?

A %.3f

B %3f

C %.f3

D %f3

The correct format is %.3f, which means a floating-point number with 3 digits after the decimal point.

What does sprintf('Value: %d', 10.5) output in MATLAB?

A Value: %d

B Value: 10.5

C Value: 10

D Error

The %d specifier formats the number as an integer, so 10.5 is converted to 10.

How do you print a string variable name inside a formatted string using sprintf?

A sprintf('Hello %s', name)

B sprintf('Hello %d', name)

C sprintf('Hello %f', name)

D sprintf('Hello %c', name)

Use %s to format strings in sprintf.

What will sprintf('%%d is a placeholder') output?

A %%d is a placeholder

B d is a placeholder

C Error

D %d is a placeholder

Using %% outputs a literal percent sign, so %%d becomes %d in the string.

Which sprintf format specifier pads an integer with spaces to a width of 6?

A %6f

B %6d

C %06d

D %d6

The format %6d pads the integer with spaces to make it 6 characters wide.

Describe how to use sprintf in MATLAB to format a floating-point number with 4 decimal places and include it in a sentence.

Think about how to write the format string and pass the number as an argument.

Explain how to include a literal percent sign (%) in a string created by sprintf and why this is necessary.

Remember that % is used for placeholders, so you need a way to show it literally.