--- title: "Format Text specification" canonical: "https://docs.cuesystem.com/space/CVCHELP/518881281/Format%20Text%20specification" format: markdown --- > Macro (toc) --- # Boolean It specifies the formatting of [Boolean](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Boolean). If the value of a parameter is True, a value of truetext will be used, a value of falsetext will be used otherwise. Values truetext and falsetext must be concluded between a pair of apostrophes. These apostrophes are not part of truetext or falsetext. Values truetext and falsetext must not contain the apostrophe character.  Values truetext and falsetext are optional from the right. If they are not specified, the texts "True" or "False" are used.  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{L['TrueText'['FalseText']]}" ``` Note: Using **L** and **l** (small letter) is equivalent.  #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("It is {L 'Monday' 'Tuesday'} today.", True)  DebugPrintFormat("It is {L 'Monday' 'Tuesday'} today.", False) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic It is Monday today.  It is Tuesday today. ``` #### Example  ```visualbasic Var Status As Boolean  Status := True  DebugPrintFormat("It is {L}.", Status)  Status := False  DebugPrintFormat("It is {L}.", Status) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic It is True.  It is False. ``` # Number It specifies the formatting of [Byte](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Byte), [Long](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Long) and [Double](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Double).  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{N[SignSpecifier][Precision]}" ``` Note: Using **N** and **n** is equivalent.  #### SignSpecifier  | | | | --- | --- | | Values | Description | | empty | For negative signed values appear "–", for positive does not appear anything. | | + | The sign appears always. | | - | For negative signed values appear "–", for positive appears " " (space). | | h | A hexadecimal format of a conversion is used. The floatpartspecification must be empty. Lower characters "abcdef" are used. **This flag is ignored for Double type variables.** | | H | A hexadecimal format of a conversion is used. The floatpartspecification must be empty. Upper characters "ABCDEF" are used. **This flag is ignored for Double type variables.** | | b | A binary format of a conversion is used. floatpartspecification must be empty. **This flag is ignored for Double type variables.** | #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{n}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n}", -123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n+}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n+}", -123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n-}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n-}", -123) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 123  -123  +123  -123   123  -123 ``` #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{nh}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{nh}", 12345678)  DebugPrintFormat("{nH}", 12345678)  DebugPrintFormat("{nb}", 123) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 7b  bc614e  BC614E  1111011 ``` #### Precision  ```visualbasic [0][beforedotcount][floatpartspecification] ``` ***0**** * Zero character adds zeros from the left.  ***beforedotcount**** * It is the minimum number of characters of the number to be formatted. It is an integral number. It must be greater than zero.  #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{n}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n4}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n8}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n04}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{n08}", 123) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 123   123       123  0123  00000123 ``` #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{nH}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{nH04}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{nH08}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{nb}", 123)  DebugPrintFormat("{nb010}", 123) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 7B  007B  0000007B  1111011  0001111011 ``` #### floatpartspecification* * | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Parts/Values | Description | | floatpartspecification | dotpart exppart | | | dotpart | empty | No effect. | | **.**integralnumber | Number of decimal places to which the number is rounded. | | exppart | empty | No effect. | | e expspecification | | | expspecification | empty | No effect. | | fillchar explen | | | explen | empty | No effect. | | integralnumber | | #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{n}", 123.456)  DebugPrintFormat("{n.1}", 123.456)  DebugPrintFormat("{n.2}", 123.456)  DebugPrintFormat("{n.10}", 123.456) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 123.456000  123.5  123.46  123.4560000000 ``` # Time - absolute It specifies the formatting of absolute [Time](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Time).  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{#}" ``` #### Example  ``` DebugPrintFormat("{#}", #04/14/2009 18:55:05#)  DebugPrintFormat("{#}", #04/14/2009 18:55:05.12#)  DebugPrintFormat("{#}", #04/14/2009 18:55:05.123456#) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic #04/14/2009 18:55:05.000000#  #04/14/2009 18:55:05.120000#  #04/14/2009 18:55:05.123456# ``` # Time - interval It specifies the formatting of a [Time](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Time) interval.  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{:}" ``` #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("{:}", 18:55:05)  DebugPrintFormat("{:}", 18:55:05.12)  DebugPrintFormat("{:}", 18:55:05.123456) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic 18:55:05.000000  18:55:05.120000  18:55:05.123456 ``` # Text It specifies formatting of the [Text](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#Text).  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{T[Conversion][Justification]}" ``` Note: Using **T** and **t** is equivalent.  #### Character conversion  | | | | --- | --- | | Character | Output format | | none | No conversion. | | "U" | To uppercase. | | "L" | To lowercase. | #### Justification  For function ParseText it is information about the length of a field. For function Formattext it is used for the alignment of a text in the box of a defined length.  ```visualbasic [justifyspecification sizespecification] ``` | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Parts/Values | Description | | justifyspecification | jl | Left. | | jc | Center. | | jr | Right. | | sizespecification | integralnumber | | #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("It is {t} today.", "Monday")  DebugPrintFormat("It is {tu} today.", "Monday")  DebugPrintFormat("It is {tl} today.", "Monday") ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic It is Monday today.  It is MONDAY today.  It is monday today. ``` # ByteString It specifies formatting of [ByteString](/wiki/spaces/CVCHELP/pages/495058958/Data+types#ByteString).  #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{[CharacterEncoding]S}" ``` Note: Using **S** and **s** is equivalent.  #### Character encoding – is supported from firmware 12.30.  | | | | --- | --- | | | Output format | | None | ASCII encoding – byte from ByteString is used as a lower byte in destination text character | | (ASCII) | ASCII encoding – byte from ByteString is used as a lower byte in destination text character | | (UTF8) | The source ByteString is interpreted as UTF-8 and is converted to Text | #### Example* * ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("abc{s}de", &s"123\04\05\06\ff")  DebugPrintFormat("{(UTF8)s}",&S"\C5\A1\C4\8D\C5\99\C5\BE") // character encoding is supported from firmware 12.30 ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```none abc123\04\05\06\FFde ščřž ``` #### Syntax  ```visualbasic "{Sh}" ``` Note: Using **S** and **s** is equivalent. Using **H** and **h** is equivalent.  #### Example  ```visualbasic DebugPrintFormat("abc{sh}de", &s"123\04\05\06\ff") ``` It prints to the debug window:  ```visualbasic abc\31\32\33\04\05\06\ffde ``` # Character { Character **{** determines a parameter declaration. To print it, it must be double: **{{** (then it does not determine a parameter declaration). Character **}** is printed normally.  - **{{** prints **{** - **}** prints **}** #### Example  ``` Var dst As Text[100] FormatText("Have a {{nice} trip.") DebugPrint(dst) ``` It prints to the debug window:  ``` Have a {nice} trip.  ```