Re: add printf.scm to ice-9?

[Per Bothner]

Steve Tell wrote:
> > #|kawa:1|# (format "[~12,5e]" (sqrt 2))
> > [  1.41421E+0]
>
> In guile, that's  (format #f "[~12,5e]" (sqrt 2))

Kawa allows the #f (or more generally the "destination"
specification) to be omitted.  I believe this was to
be compatible with some other Scheme  implementations.
It certainly is needed for compatibility with SRFI-28,
which implies "many Scheme implementations" have a format
function that does not require the #f.

> I've wondered how one would translate somthing like 
> 	(let ((w 12)(d 5)) (printf "%*,*e" w d (sqrt 2)))
> though.
>
> But how terrible would it really be to provide both format and printf? 

Not terrible at all.  In fact slib (and Kawa) provide both.
--
        --Per Bothner
address@hidden   http://www.bothner.com/per/