Printf Format String

Printf format string (of which "printf" stands for "print formatted") refers to a control parameter used by a class of functions typically associated with some types of programming languages. The format string specifies a method for rendering an arbitrary number of varied data type parameter(s) into a string. This string is then by default printed on the standard output stream, but variants exist that perform other tasks with the result. Characters in the format string are usually copied literally into the function's output, with the other parameters being rendered into the resulting text at points marked by format specifiers, which are typically introduced by a % character.