Printf and sprintf formatting in PHP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does printf do in PHP?

printf formats a string and immediately prints it to the screen.

beginner

How is sprintf different from printf?

sprintf formats a string but returns it instead of printing it. You can save or use the formatted string later.

beginner

What does the format specifier %d mean in printf or sprintf?

%d is used to format an integer (whole number).

intermediate

Explain the use of %0.2f in formatting.

%0.2f formats a floating-point number with 2 digits after the decimal point, adding zeros if needed.

beginner

What happens if you use %s in printf?

%s formats a string. It inserts the string value into the formatted output.

Which function prints the formatted string directly to the screen?

A printf

B sprintf

C print_r

D echo

printf formats and prints the string immediately.

What does %f format specifier represent?

A Boolean

B Integer

C String

D Floating-point number

%f is used for floating-point numbers (decimals).

How do you format a number to always show 2 decimal places?

A %.2f

B %d

C %s

D %c

%.2f formats a float with 2 decimal places.

Which function returns the formatted string instead of printing it?

A printf

B var_dump

C sprintf

D print

sprintf returns the formatted string for later use.

What will printf("Hello %s", "World") output?

A Hello %s

B Hello World

C World Hello

D Error

The %s is replaced by the string "World".

Describe the difference between printf and sprintf in PHP.

Think about when you want to show output immediately versus when you want to save it.

Explain how to format a floating-point number to 3 decimal places using printf or sprintf.

Look at the pattern for decimal precision in format specifiers.