R help - Oct 2003 - strange sprintf() behaviour ?

This is quite strange behaviour - at least for R-novice as myself....

Consider this:
> testf <- function() { x <-2; sprintf("%s %f", "x
=", x); return(x) }
> result <- testf()
> testf <- function() { x <-2; sprintf("%s %f", "x
=", x) }
> result <- testf()
> testf()
[1] "x = 2.000000"

Apparently  adding return() statement and invoking function like this 
"result <- testf()"
suppresses output from sprintf()

Output from print() is NOT suppressed:
> testf <- function() { x <-2; print(c("x =", x)) }
> result <- testf()
[1] "x =" "2"
> testf <- function() { x <-2; print(c("x =", x)); return(x)
}
> result <- testf()
[1] "x =" "2"

Is there a way to use sprintf() inside a function ?

I guess I can say: print(sprintf()) - is it the only solution for this ?

R

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Hi, sprintf() returns a character string ('s' for string). See ?sprintf.
It does not print (to standard output as you think). If you call it at
the R prompt you'll get a string, which is then printed. Thus, to print
it you should call cat(sprintf(...)) or print(sprintf(...)).  

About you previous question about %d and %f etc; If x is a double, %d
can be used with as.integer(x) and %.0f with x to output as an integer.

/Henrik
> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch 
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of 
> ryszard.czerminski at pharma.novartis.com
> Sent: den 31 oktober 2003 20:39
> To: rossini at u.washington.edu
> Cc: R help list; Bill Shipley; r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch
> Subject: [R] strange sprintf() behaviour ?
> 
> 
> This is quite strange behaviour - at least for R-novice as myself....
> 
> Consider this:
> 
> > testf <- function() { x <-2; sprintf("%s %f", "x
=", x);
> return(x) } 
> > result <- testf() testf <- function() { x <-2;
sprintf("%s
> %f", "x =", 
> > x) } result <- testf()
> > testf()
> [1] "x = 2.000000"
> 
> Apparently  adding return() statement and invoking function like this 
> "result <- testf()"
> suppresses output from sprintf()
> 
> Output from print() is NOT suppressed:
> 
> > testf <- function() { x <-2; print(c("x =", x)) }
> > result <- testf()
> [1] "x =" "2"
> > testf <- function() { x <-2; print(c("x =", x));
return(x)
> } result <- 
> > testf()
> [1] "x =" "2"
> 
> Is there a way to use sprintf() inside a function ?
> 
> I guess I can say: print(sprintf()) - is it the only solution 
> for this ?
> 
> R
> 
> 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> 
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