# format

number printing and display format

## Calling Sequence

                format([type],[long])
                v = format()
                format(m)

## Arguments

type

  character string

long

  integer (max number of digits (default 10))

v

  a vector for the current format.

  `v(1)` is a type of format : 0 for 'e' and 1 for 'v'

  `v(2)` is a number of digits

m

  a vector to set new format

  m(1) is a number of digits

  m(2) is a type of format : 0 for 'e' and 1 for 'v'

## Description

Sets the current printing format with the parameter `type`; it is one of the following :

"v"

  for a variable format (default)

"e"

  for the e-format.

`long` defines the max number of digits (default 10). `format()` returns a vector for the current format: first component is the type of format (1 if 'v' ; 0 if 'e'); second component is the number of digits.

In the old Scilab versions, in "variable format" mode, vector entries which are less than %eps times the maximum absolute value of the entries were displayed as "0". It is no more the case, the clean function can be used to set negligible entries to zeros.

## Examples

    x=rand(1,5);
    format('v',10);x
    format(20);x
    format('e',10);x
    format(20);x

    x=[100 %eps];
    format('e',10);x
    format('v',10);x

    format("v")

## See Also

- write
- disp
- print
- clean