2.6 locale.h

The locale header is useful for setting location specific information.

Variables:

struct lconv

Macros:

NULL LC_ALL LC_COLLATE LC_CTYPE LC_MONETARY LC_NUMERIC LC_TIME

Functions:

localeconv(); setlocale();

2.6.1 Variables and Definitions

The lconv structure contains the following variables in any order. The use of this structure is described in 2.6.3 localeconv.

char *decimal_point; char *thousands_sep; char *grouping; char *int_curr_symbol; char *currency_symbol; char *mon_decimal_point; char *mon_thousands_sep; char *mon_grouping; char *positive_sign; char *negative_sign; char int_frac_digits; char frac_digits; char p_cs_precedes; char p_sep_by_space; char n_cs_precedes; char n_sep_by_space; char p_sign_posn; char n_sign_posn;

The LC_ macros are described in 2.6.2 setlocale. NULL is the value of a null pointer constant.

2.6.2 setlocale

Declaration:

char *setlocale(int category, const char *locale);

Sets or reads location dependent information.

category can be one of the following:

LC_ALL Set everything.

LC_COLLATE Affects strcoll and strxfrm functions.

LC_CTYPE Affects all character functions.

LC_MONETARY Affects the monetary information provided by localeconv function.

LC_NUMERIC Affects decimal-point formatting and the information provided by localeconv function.

LC_TIME Affects the strftime function.

A value of "C" for locale sets the locale to the normal C translation environment settings (default). A null value ("") sets the native environment settings. A null pointer (NULL) causes setlocale to return a pointer to the string associated with this category for the current settings (no changes occur). All other values are implementation-specific.

After a successful set, setlocale returns a pointer to a string which represents the previous location setting. On failure it returns NULL.

Example:

#include<locale.h>
#include<stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
 char *old_locale;

 old_locale=setlocale(LC_ALL,"C");
 printf("The preivous setting was %s.\n",old_locale);
 return 0;
}

2.6.3 localeconv

Declaration:

struct lconv *localeconv(void);

Sets the structure lconv to represent the current location settings.

The string pointers in the structure may point to a null string ("") which indicates that the value is not available. The char types are nonnegative numbers. If the value is CHAR_MAX, then the value is not available.

lconv variables:

char *decimal_point Decimal point character used for non-monetary values.
char *thousands_sep Thousands place separator character used for non-monetary values.
char *grouping A string that indicates the size of each group of digits in non-monetary quantities. Each character represents an integer value which designates the number of digits in the current group. A value of 0 means that the previous value is to be used for the rest of the groups.
char *int_curr_symbol A string of the international currency symbols used. The first three characters are those specified by ISO 4217:1987 and the fourth is the character which separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
char *currency_symbol The local symbol used for currency.
char *mon_decimal_point The decimal point character used for monetary values.
char *mon_thousands_sep The thousands place grouping character used for monetary values.
char *mon_grouping A string whose elements define the size of the grouping of digits in monetary values. Each character represents an integer value which designates the number of digits in the current group. A value of 0 means that the previous value is to be used for the rest of the groups.
char *positive_sign The character used for positive monetary values.
char *negative_sign The character used for negative monetary values.
char int_frac_digits Number of digits to show after the decimal point in international monetary values.
char frac_digits Number of digits to show after the decimal point in monetary values.
char p_cs_precedes If equal to 1, then the currency_symbol appears before a positive monetary value. If equal to 0, then the currency_symbol appears after a positive monetary value.
char p_sep_by_space If equal to 1, then the currency_symbol is separated by a space from a positive monetary value. If equal to 0, then there is no space between the currency_symbol and a positive monetary value.
char n_cs_precedes If equal to 1, then the currency_symbol precedes a negative monetary value. If equal to 0, then the currency_symbol succeeds a negative monetary value.
char n_sep_by_space If equal to 1, then the currency_symbol is separated by a space from a negative monetary value. If equal to 0, then there is no space between the currency_symbol and a negative monetary value.
char p_sign_posn Represents the position of the positive_sign in a positive monetary value.
char n_sign_posn Represents the position of the negative_sign in a negative monetary value.

The following values are used for p_sign_posn and n_sign_posn:

0 Parentheses encapsulate the value and the currency_symbol.

1 The sign precedes the value and currency_symbol.

2 The sign succeeds the value and currency_symbol.

3 The sign immediately precedes the value and currency_symbol.

4 The sign immediately succeeds the value and currency_symbol.

Example:


#include<locale.h>
#include<stdio.h>
int main(void)
{
 struct lconv locale_structure;
 struct lconv *locale_ptr=&locale_structure;

 locale_ptr=lcoaleconv();
 printf("Decimal point:         %s",locale_ptr->decimal_point);
 printf("Thousands Separator:             %s",locale_ptr->thousands_sep);
 printf("Grouping:                        %s",locale_ptr->grouping);
 printf("International Currency Symbol:   %s",locale_ptr->int_curr_symbol);
 printf("Currency Symbol:                 %s",locale_ptr->currency_symbol);
 printf("Monetary Decimal Point:          %s",locale_ptr->mon_decimal_point);
 printf("Monetary Thousands Separator:    %s",locale_ptr->mon_thousands_sep);
 printf("Monetary Grouping:               %s",locale_ptr->mon_grouping);
 printf("Monetary Positive Sign:          %s",locale_ptr->positive_sign);
 printf("Monetary Negative Sign:          %s",locale_ptr->negative_sign);
 printf("Monetary Intl Decimal Digits:    %c",locale_ptr->int_frac_digits);
 printf("Monetary Decimal Digits:         %c",locale_ptr->frac_digits);
 printf("Monetary + Precedes:             %c",locale_ptr->p_cs_precedes);
 printf("Monetary + Space:                %c",locale_ptr->p_sep_by_space);
 printf("Monetary - Precedes:             %c",locale_ptr->n_cs_precedes);
 printf("Monetary - Space:                %c",locale_ptr->n_sep_by_space);
 printf("Monetary + Sign Posn:            %c",locale_ptr->p_sign_posn);
 printf("Monetary - Sign Posn:            %c",locale_ptr->n_sign_posn);
}

Previous Section
2.5 limits.h

| Table of Contents | Index |

Next Section

2.7 math.h

`LC_ALL`	Set everything.
`LC_COLLATE`	Affects strcoll and strxfrm functions.
`LC_CTYPE`	Affects all character functions.
`LC_MONETARY`	Affects the monetary information provided by localeconv function.
`LC_NUMERIC`	Affects decimal-point formatting and the information provided by `localeconv` function.
`LC_TIME`	Affects the strftime function.

`char *decimal_point`	Decimal point character used for non-monetary values.
`char *thousands_sep`	Thousands place separator character used for non-monetary values.
`char *grouping`	A string that indicates the size of each group of digits in non-monetary quantities. Each character represents an integer value which designates the number of digits in the current group. A value of 0 means that the previous value is to be used for the rest of the groups.
`char *int_curr_symbol`	A string of the international currency symbols used. The first three characters are those specified by ISO 4217:1987 and the fourth is the character which separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
`char *currency_symbol`	The local symbol used for currency.
`char *mon_decimal_point`	The decimal point character used for monetary values.
`char *mon_thousands_sep`	The thousands place grouping character used for monetary values.
`char *mon_grouping`	A string whose elements define the size of the grouping of digits in monetary values. Each character represents an integer value which designates the number of digits in the current group. A value of 0 means that the previous value is to be used for the rest of the groups.
`char *positive_sign`	The character used for positive monetary values.
`char *negative_sign`	The character used for negative monetary values.
`char int_frac_digits`	Number of digits to show after the decimal point in international monetary values.
`char frac_digits`	Number of digits to show after the decimal point in monetary values.
`char p_cs_precedes`	If equal to 1, then the `currency_symbol` appears before a positive monetary value. If equal to 0, then the `currency_symbol` appears after a positive monetary value.
`char p_sep_by_space`	If equal to 1, then the `currency_symbol` is separated by a space from a positive monetary value. If equal to 0, then there is no space between the `currency_symbol` and a positive monetary value.
`char n_cs_precedes`	If equal to 1, then the `currency_symbol` precedes a negative monetary value. If equal to 0, then the `currency_symbol succeeds a negative monetary value.`
`char n_sep_by_space`	If equal to 1, then the `currency_symbol` is separated by a space from a negative monetary value. If equal to 0, then there is no space between the `currency_symbol` and a negative monetary value.
`char p_sign_posn`	Represents the position of the `positive_sign` in a positive monetary value.
`char n_sign_posn`	Represents the position of the `negative_sign` in a negative monetary value.

`0`	Parentheses encapsulate the value and the currency_symbol.
`1`	The sign precedes the value and currency_symbol.
`2`	The sign succeeds the value and currency_symbol.
`3`	The sign immediately precedes the value and currency_symbol.
`4`	The sign immediately succeeds the value and currency_symbol.