Pete's QBASIC Site

Posted: **Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:57 pm**

I'm learning qb64. I have a class problem where I have to print in columns with headings and for dollar-valued fields I have to align the columns by decimal. The chapter covers PRINT USING and I assumed that I was supposed to use that. I assumed that PRINT USING was like a formatted print in other languages; e.g., printf "%02d %12.4f", d, x; would print an integer in two columns, skip a column, and print a float using 12 columns with four decimals. The examples in the chapter suggest this interpretation for PRINT USING and I expect PRINT USING "## #######.####"; d; x to do about the same thing.

But in my program, the numbers don't seem to print formatted. Here's the code to print column headers:

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  C$ = "          \          \   \           \  \            \ \          \ \          \"
  Print using C$; "beginning"; "ending"; "cost of"; "average"; " "
  Print using C$; "inventory"; "inventory"; "goods sold"; "inventory"; "turnover"

and here's the code to print the numerical values:

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  N$ = "          #########,.##    #########,.##  $#########,.## #########,.# #########,.#"
  Print using N$; beginv; endinv; cogs; avginv; turnover

In the output (see below), the column headers seem to be aligned using C$ abut the numbers are not similarly aligned using N$. Am I misunderstanding how PRINT USING works? Is there a better way to align numerical column by decimal place?

: output showing incorrect formatting; Capture.JPG (26.58 KiB) Viewed 7529 times

When I look at the output, it seems like the literal spaces in N$ are being printed but the numbers are not being forced into the required fields. Is that not the correct interpretation of PRINT USING?

Also, the book uses a format like "###,###,###.##" but the qb64 wiki suggests "#########,.##" Is that the same? And is that fourteen columns? Or 13 columns? Or?

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2016 10:59 am**

PRINT USING with text using the slashes makes it more difficult to align. Try just using PRINT and align the text with template by eye checking the screen.

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beginv = 10: endinv = 5: cogs = 200: avginv = 75: turnover = 5
PRINT "     beginning           ending          cost of      average     turnover"
N$ = " #########,.##    #########,.##  $$#########,.## #########,.# #########,.#"
PRINT USING N$; beginv; endinv; cogs; avginv; turnover

$$ in template places $ at start of number

Numbers fill in # from decimal point or right without one. Empty # values do take up space so only use as many digits as necessary for the entry. QB64 can make program screens larger if needed.

Pete's QBASIC Site

print using doesn't space correctly?

print using doesn't space correctly?

Re: print using doesn't space correctly?