// // Copyright (c) 2009-2011 Artyom Beilis (Tonkikh) // // Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See // accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at // http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt) // // vim: tabstop=4 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 filetype=cpp.doxygen /*! \page localized_text_formatting Localized Text Formatting The \c iostream manipulators are very useful, but when we create a messages for the user, sometimes we need something like good old \c printf or \c boost::format. Unfortunately \c boost::format has several limitations in context of localization: -# It renders all parameters using global locale rather than target \c ostream locale. For example: \n \code std::locale::global(std::locale("en_US.UTF-8")); output.imbue(std::locale("de_DE.UTF-8")) output << boost::format("%1%") % 1234.345; \endcode \n This would write "1,234.235" to output, instead of the "1.234,234" that is expected for "de_DE" locale -# It knows nothing about the new Boost.Locale manipulators. -# The \c printf-like syntax is very limited for formatting complex localized data, not allowing the formatting of dates, times, or currencies Thus a new class, boost::locale::format, was introduced. For example: \code wcout << wformat(L"Today {1,date} I would meet {2} at home") % time(0) % name <[0-9]+ -- digits, the index of the formatted parameter -- required. - \c num or \c number -- format a number. Options are: \n - \c hex -- display in hexadecimal format - \c oct -- display in octal format - \c sci or \c scientific -- display in scientific format - \c fix or \c fixed -- display in fixed format \n For example, \c number=sci - \c cur or \c currency -- format currency. Options are: \n - \c iso -- display using ISO currency symbol. - \c nat or \c national -- display using national currency symbol. \n - \c per or \c percent -- format a percentage value. - \c date, \c time, \c datetime or \c dt -- format a date, a time, or a date and time. Options are: \n - \c s or \c short -- display in short format. - \c m or \c medium -- display in medium format. - \c l or \c long -- display in long format. - \c f or \c full -- display in full format. - \c ftime with string (quoted) parameter -- display as with \c strftime. See \c as::ftime manipulator. - \c spell or \c spellout -- spell the number. - \c ord or \c ordinal -- format an ordinal number (1st, 2nd... etc) - \c left or \c < -- align-left. - \c right or \c > -- align-right. - \c width or \c w -- set field width (requires parameter). - \c precision or \c p -- set precision (requires parameter). - \c locale -- with parameter -- switch locales for the current operation. This command generates a locale with formatting facets, giving more fine grained control of formatting. For example: \n \code cout << format("This article was published at {1,date=l} (Gregorian) {1,locale=he_IL@calendar=hebrew,date=l} (Hebrew)") % date; \endcode - \c timezone or \c tz -- the name of the timezone to display the time in. For example:\n \code cout << format("Time is: Local {1,time}, ({1,time,tz=EET} Eastern European Time)") % date; \endcode - \c local - display the time in local time - \c gmt - display the time in UTC time scale \code cout << format("Local time is: {1,time,local}, universal time is {1,time,gmt}") % time; \endcode The constructor for the \ref boost::locale::format "format" class can take an object of type \ref boost::locale::message "message", simplifying integration with message translation code. For example: \code cout<< format(translate("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}")) % a % b % (a+b) << endl; \endcode A formatted string can be fetched directly by using the \ref boost::locale::format::str() "str(std::locale const &loc=std::locale())" member function. For example: \code std::wstring de = (wformat(translate("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}")) % a % b % (a+b)).str(de_locale); std::wstring fr = (wformat(translate("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}")) % a % b % (a+b)).str(fr_locale); \endcode \note There is one significant difference between \c boost::format and \c boost::locale::format: Boost.Locale's format converts its parameters only when written to an \c ostream or when the `str()` member function is called. It only saves references to the objects that can be written to a stream. This is generally not a problem when all operations are done in one statement, such as: \code cout << format("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}") % a % b % (a+b); \endcode Because the temporary value of \c (a+b) exists until the formatted data is actually written to the stream. But following code is wrong: \code format fmt("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}"); fmt % a; fmt % b; fmt % (a+b); cout << fmt; \endcode Because the temporary value of \c (a+b) no longer exists when \c fmt is written to the stream. A correct solution would be: \code format fmt("Adding {1} to {2}, we get {3}"); fmt % a; fmt % b; int a_plus_b = a+b; fmt % a_plus_b; cout << fmt; \endcode */