localeconv - Retrieve Information from the Environment

Syntax

#include <locale.h>
struct lconv *localeconv(void);

localeconv retrieves information about the environment for the current locale and places the information in a structure of type struct lconv. Subsequent calls to localeconv, or to setlocale with the argument LC_ALL, LC_MONETARY, or LC_NUMERIC, can overwrite the structure.

The structure contains the members listed below. Pointers to strings with a value of "" indicate that the value is not available in this locale or is of zero length. Character types with a value of CHAR_MAX indicate that the value is not available in this locale. ┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Element │ Purpose of Element │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Decimal-point character for formatting │
│ *decimal_point" │ nonmonetary quantities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Character used to separate groups of │
│ *thousands_sep" │ digits to the left of the decimal-point │
│ │ character in formatted nonmonetary quan- │
│ │ tities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char *grouping" │ Size of each group of digits in for- │
│ │ matted nonmonetary quantities. The │
│ │ value of each character in the string │
│ │ determines the number of digits in a │
│ │ group. "CHAR_MAX" indicates that there │
│ │ are no further groupings. If the last │
│ │ integer is not "CHAR_MAX", then the size │
│ │ of the previous group will be used for │
│ │ the remainder of the digits. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ International currency symbol. The │
│ *int_curr_symbol" │ first three characters contain the │
│ │ alphabetic international currency │
│ │ symbol. The fourth character (usually a │
│ │ space) separates the international cur- │
│ │ rency symbol from the monetary quantity. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Local currency symbol. │
│ *currency_symbol" │ │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Decimal-point character for formatting │
│ *mon_decimal_point" │ monetary quantities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Separator for digits in formatted mone- │
│ *mon_thousands_sep" │ tary quantities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char *mon_grouping" │ Size of each group of digits in for- │
│ │ matted monetary quantities. The value │
│ │ of each character in the string deter- │
│ │ mines the number of digits in a group. │
│ │ "CHAR_MAX" indicates that there are no │
│ │ further groupings. If the last integer │
│ │ is not "CHAR_MAX", then the size of the │
│ │ previous group will be used for the │
│ │ remainder of the digits. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Positive sign used in monetary quanti- │
│ *positive_sign" │ ties. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Negative sign used in monetary quanti- │
│ *negative_sign" │ ties. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Mumber of displayed digits to the right │
│ int_frac_digits" │ of the decimal place for internationally │
│ │ formatted monetary quantities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char frac_digits" │ Number of digits to the right of the │
│ │ decimal place in monetary quantities. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char p_cs_precedes" │ 1 if the "currency_symbol" precedes the │
│ │ value for a nonnegative formatted mone- │
│ │ tary quantity; "0" if it does not. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ 1 if the "currency_symbol" is separated │
│ p_sep_by_space" │ by a space from the value of a nonnega- │
│ │ tive formatted monetary quantity; "0" │
│ │ if it is not. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char n_cs_precedes" │ 1 if the "currency_symbol" precedes the │
│ │ value for a negative formatted monetary │
│ │ quantity; "0" if it does not. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ 1 if the "currency_symbol" is separated │
│ n_sep_by_space" │ by a space from the value of a negative │
│ │ formatted monetary quantity; "0" if it │
│ │ is not. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char p_sign_posn" │ Position of the "positive_sign" for a │
│ │ nonnegative formatted monetary quantity. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char n_sign_posn" │ Position of the "negative_sign" for a │
│ │ negative formatted monetary quantity. │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ "char │ Symbol to appear to the left of a │
│ *left_parenthesis" │ negative-valued monetary symbol (such as │
│ │ a loss or deficit). │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char │ Symbol to appear to the right of a │
│ *right_parenthesis" │ negative-valued monetary symbol (such as │
│ │ a loss or deficit). │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char *debit_sign" │ String to indicate a non-negative-valued │
│ │ formatted monetary quantity. │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ "char *credit_sign" │ String to indicate a negative-valued │
│ │ formatted monetary quantity. │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────┘

The grouping and mon_grouping members can have the following values:

Value

Meaning

No further grouping is to be performed.

The previous element is to be repeatedly used for the rest of the digits.

The number of digits that comprise the current group. The next element is examined to determine the size of the next group of digits before the current group.

The n_sign_posn and p_sign_posn elements can have the following values:

Value

Meaning

The quantity and currency_symbol are enclosed in parentheses.

The sign precedes the quantity and currency_symbol.

The sign follows the quantity and currency_symbol.

The sign precedes the currency_symbol.

The sign follows the currency_symbol.

localeconv returns a pointer to the lconv structure. Calls to setlocale with the categories LC_ALL, LC_MONETARY, or LC_NUMERIC may overwrite the contents of the structure.

This example prints out the default decimal point for your locale and then the decimal point for the Fr_FR.IBM-850 locale.

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

int main(void)
{
   struct lconv *mylocale;

   mylocale = localeconv();
   printf("Default decimal point is a %s\n", mylocale->decimal_point);

   if (NULL != setlocale(LC_ALL, Fr_FR.IBM-850)) {
      mylocale = localeconv();
      printf("France's decimal point is a %s\n", mylocale->decimal_point);
   } else {
      printf("setlocale(LC_ALL, Fr_FR.IBM-850) returned <NULL>\n");
    }
   return 0;

   /****************************************************************************
      The output should be similar to :

      Default decimal point is a .
      France's decimal point is a ,
   ****************************************************************************/
}

setlocale

[Back: lfind - lsearch - Find Key in Array]

[Next: localtime - Convert Time]