io_lib(3erl)						     Erlang Module Definition						      io_lib(3erl)

NAME

       io_lib - IO Library Functions

DESCRIPTION

       This  module  contains  functions for converting to and from strings (lists of characters). They are used for implementing the functions in
       the io module. There is no guarantee that the character lists returned from some of the	functions  are	flat,  they  can  be  deep  lists.
       lists:flatten/1 can be used for flattening deep lists.

DATA TYPES

       chars() = [char() | chars()]

EXPORTS

       nl() -> chars()

	      Returns a character list which represents a new line character.

       write(Term) ->
       write(Term, Depth) -> chars()

	      Types  Term = term()
		     Depth = int()

	      Returns  a  character  list  which  represents Term . The Depth (-1) argument controls the depth of the structures written. When the
	      specified depth is reached, everything below this level is replaced by "...". For example:

	      1> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9})).
	      "{1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}"
	      2> lists:flatten(io_lib:write({1,[2],[3],[4,5],6,7,8,9}, 5)).
	      "{1,[2],[3],[...],...}"

       print(Term) ->
       print(Term, Column, LineLength, Depth) -> chars()

	      Types  Term = term()
		     Column = LineLenght = Depth = int()

	      Also returns a list of characters which represents Term , but breaks representations which are longer than one line into many  lines
	      and  indents each line sensibly. It also tries to detect and output lists of printable characters as strings. Column is the starting
	      column(1), LineLength the maximum line length(80), and Depth (-1) the maximum print depth.

       fwrite(Format, Data) ->
       format(Format, Data) -> chars() | UnicodeList

	      Types  Format = atom() | string() | binary()
		     Data = [term()]
		     UnicodeList = [Unicode]
		     Unicode = int() representing valid unicode codepoint

	      Returns a character list which represents Data formatted in accordance with Format . See io:fwrite/1,2,3 for a detailed  description
	      of the available formatting options. A fault is generated if there is an error in the format string or argument list.

	      If  (and	only  if)  the Unicode translation modifier is used in the format string (i.e. ~ts or ~tc), the resulting list may contain
	      characters beyond the ISO-latin-1 character range (in other words, numbers larger than 255). If so, the result is  not  an  ordinary
	      Erlang string(), but can well be used in any context where Unicode data is allowed.

       fread(Format, String) -> Result

	      Types  Format = String = string()
		     Result = {ok, InputList, LeftOverChars} | {more, RestFormat, Nchars, InputStack} | {error, What}
		     InputList = chars()
		     LeftOverChars = string()
		     RestFormat = string()
		     Nchars = int()
		     InputStack = chars()
		     What = term()

	      Tries to read String in accordance with the control sequences in Format . See io:fread/3 for a detailed description of the available
	      formatting options. It is assumed that String contains whole lines. It returns:

		{ok, InputList, LeftOverChars} :
		  The string was read. InputList is the list of successfully matched and read items, and LeftOverChars are  the  input	characters
		  not used.

		{more, RestFormat, Nchars, InputStack} :
		  The  string was read, but more input is needed in order to complete the original format string. RestFormat is the remaining for-
		  mat string, NChars the number of characters scanned, and InputStack is the reversed list of inputs matched up to that point.

		{error, What} :
		  The read operation failed and the parameter What gives a hint about the error.

	      Example:

	      3> io_lib:fread("~f~f~f", "15.6 17.3e-6 24.5").
	      {ok,[15.6,1.73e-5,24.5],[]}

       fread(Continuation, String, Format) -> Return

	      Types  Continuation = see below
		     String = Format = string()
		     Return = {done, Result, LeftOverChars} | {more, Continuation}
		     Result = {ok, InputList} | eof | {error, What}
		     InputList = chars()
		     What = term()()
		     LeftOverChars = string()

	      This is the re-entrant formatted reader. The continuation of the first call to the functions must be [] . Refer to Armstrong,  Vird-
	      ing, Williams, 'Concurrent Programming in Erlang', Chapter 13 for a complete description of how the re-entrant input scheme works.

	      The function returns:

		{done, Result, LeftOverChars} :
		  The input is complete. The result is one of the following:

		  {ok, InputList} :
		    The string was read. InputList is the list of successfully matched and read items, and LeftOverChars are the remaining charac-
		    ters.

		  eof :
		    End of file has been encountered. LeftOverChars are the input characters not used.

		  {error, What} :
		    An error occurred and the parameter What gives a hint about the error.

		{more, Continuation} :
		  More data is required to build a term. Continuation must be passed to fread/3 , when more data becomes available.

       write_atom(Atom) -> chars()

	      Types  Atom = atom()

	      Returns the list of characters needed to print the atom Atom .

       write_string(String) -> chars()

	      Types  String = string()

	      Returns the list of characters needed to print String as a string.

       write_char(Integer) -> chars()

	      Types  Integer = int()

	      Returns the list of characters needed to print a character constant in the ISO-latin-1 character set.

       indentation(String, StartIndent) -> int()

	      Types  String = string()
		     StartIndent = int()

	      Returns the indentation if String has been printed, starting at StartIndent .

       char_list(Term) -> bool()

	      Types  Term = term()

	      Returns true if Term is a flat list of characters in the ISO-latin-1 range, otherwise it returns false .

       deep_char_list(Term) -> bool()

	      Types  Term = term()

	      Returns true if Term is a, possibly deep, list of characters in the ISO-latin-1 range, otherwise it returns false .

       printable_list(Term) -> bool()

	      Types  Term = term()

	      Returns true if Term is a flat list of printable ISO-latin-1 characters, otherwise it returns false .

Ericsson AB							   stdlib 1.17.3						      io_lib(3erl)