LOCALECONV(3) Library Functions Manual LOCALECONV(3)

localeconv, localeconv_lnatural language formatting for C

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

#include <locale.h>

struct lconv *
localeconv(void);

#include <xlocale.h>

struct lconv *
localeconv_l(locale_t loc);

The () function returns a pointer to a structure which provides parameters for formatting numbers, especially currency values:

struct lconv {
	char	*decimal_point;
	char	*thousands_sep;
	char	*grouping;
	char	*int_curr_symbol;
	char	*currency_symbol;
	char	*mon_decimal_point;
	char	*mon_thousands_sep;
	char	*mon_grouping;
	char	*positive_sign;
	char	*negative_sign;
	char	int_frac_digits;
	char	frac_digits;
	char	p_cs_precedes;
	char	p_sep_by_space;
	char	n_cs_precedes;
	char	n_sep_by_space;
	char	p_sign_posn;
	char	n_sign_posn;
	char	int_p_cs_precedes;
	char	int_n_cs_precedes;
	char	int_p_sep_by_space;
	char	int_n_sep_by_space;
	char	int_p_sign_posn;
	char	int_n_sign_posn;
};

The individual fields have the following meanings:

decimal_point
The decimal point character, except for currency values, cannot be an empty string.
thousands_sep
The separator between groups of digits before the decimal point, except for currency values.
grouping
The sizes of the groups of digits, except for currency values. This is a pointer to a vector of integers, each of size char, representing group size from low order digit groups to high order (right to left). The list may be terminated with 0 or CHAR_MAX. If the list is terminated with 0, the last group size before the 0 is repeated to account for all the digits. If the list is terminated with CHAR_MAX, no more grouping is performed.
int_curr_symbol
The standardized international currency symbol.
currency_symbol
The local currency symbol.
mon_decimal_point
The decimal point character for currency values.
mon_thousands_sep
The separator for digit groups in currency values.
mon_grouping
Like grouping but for currency values.
positive_sign
The character used to denote nonnegative currency values, usually the empty string.
negative_sign
The character used to denote negative currency values, usually a minus sign.
int_frac_digits
The number of digits after the decimal point in an international-style currency value.
frac_digits
The number of digits after the decimal point in the local style for currency values.
p_cs_precedes
1 if the currency symbol precedes the currency value for nonnegative values, 0 if it follows.
p_sep_by_space
1 if a space is inserted between the currency symbol and the currency value for nonnegative values, 0 otherwise.
n_cs_precedes
Like p_cs_precedes but for negative values.
n_sep_by_space
Like p_sep_by_space but for negative values.
p_sign_posn
The location of the positive_sign with respect to a nonnegative quantity and the currency_symbol, coded as follows:

Parentheses around the entire string.
Before the string.
After the string.
Just before currency_symbol.
Just after currency_symbol.
n_sign_posn
Like p_sign_posn but for negative currency values.
int_p_cs_precedes
Same as p_cs_precedes, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.
int_n_cs_precedes
Same as n_cs_precedes, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.
int_p_sep_by_space
Same as p_sep_by_space, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.
int_n_sep_by_space
Same as n_sep_by_space, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.
int_p_sign_posn
Same as p_sign_posn, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.
int_n_sign_posn
Same as n_sign_posn, but for internationally formatted monetary quantities.

Unless mentioned above, an empty string as a value for a field indicates a zero length result or a value that is not in the current locale. A CHAR_MAX result similarly denotes an unavailable value.

While the () function uses the current locale, the () function may be passed a locale directly. See xlocale(3) for more information.

The localeconv() function returns a pointer to a static object which may be altered by later calls to setlocale(3) or localeconv().

No errors are defined.

setlocale(3), strfmon(3), xlocale(3)

The localeconv() function conforms to ISO/IEC 9899:1999 (“ISO C99”).

The localeconv() function first appeared in 4.4BSD.

November 21, 2003 macOS 15.2