# How to: String Formatting

The guide shows how to create an expression that will return a formatted string. Before starting, create a local Modbus device, a tag with the name *source\_tag* and the data format FLOAT (32-bit floating point).

{% hint style="warning" %}
**DISCLAIMER** 

You can just use the format function from [<mark style="color:blue;">MosText</mark>](/scripts/api/mostext.md). This guide is given for an example of working with scripts and modules
{% endhint %}

Open *Monokot Server Administrator*, double-click *Scripts* on the *Server Explorer* pane and go to the *Modules* tab. Click the *New Module* button and name the module *Sprintf*. Insert the following code into the code editor:

```javascript
// Return a formatted string 
function sprintf() {     
    var regex = /%%|%(\d+\$)?([-+\'#0 ]*)(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+)?(\.(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+))?([scboxXuidfegEG])/g;
    var a = arguments, i = 0, format = a[i++];

    // pad()
    var pad = function (str, len, chr, leftJustify) {
        if (!chr) { chr = ' '; }
        var padding = (str.length >= len) ? '' : Array(1 + len - str.length >>> 0).join(chr);
        return leftJustify ? str + padding : padding + str;
    };

    // justify()
    var justify = function (value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, customPadChar) {
        var diff = minWidth - value.length;
        if (diff > 0) {
            if (leftJustify || !zeroPad) {
                value = pad(value, minWidth, customPadChar, leftJustify);
            } else {
                value = value.slice(0, prefix.length) + pad('', diff, '0', true) + value.slice(prefix.length);
            }
        }
        return value;
    };

    // formatBaseX()
    var formatBaseX = function (value, base, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad) {
        // Note: casts negative numbers to positive ones
        var number = value >>> 0;
        prefix = prefix && number && { '2': '0b', '8': '0', '16': '0x'}[base] || '';
        value = prefix + pad(number.toString(base), precision || 0, '0', false);
        return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
    };

    // formatString()
    var formatString = function (value, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, customPadChar) {
        if (precision != null) {
            value = value.slice(0, precision);
        }
        return justify(value, '', leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, customPadChar);
    };

    // doFormat()
    var doFormat = function (substring, valueIndex, flags, minWidth, _, precision, type) {
        var number;
        var prefix;
        var method;
        var textTransform;
        var value;

        if (substring == '%%') { return '%'; }

        // parse flags
        var leftJustify = false, positivePrefix = '', zeroPad = false, prefixBaseX = false, customPadChar = ' ';
        var flagsl = flags.length;
        for (var j = 0; flags && j < flagsl; j++) {
            switch (flags.charAt(j)) {
                case ' ': positivePrefix = ' '; break;
                case '+': positivePrefix = '+'; break;
                case '-': leftJustify = true; break;
                case "'": customPadChar = flags.charAt(j + 1); break;
                case '0': zeroPad = true; break;
                case '#': prefixBaseX = true; break;
            }
        }

        // parameters may be null, undefined, empty-string or real valued
        // we want to ignore null, undefined and empty-string values
        if (!minWidth) {
            minWidth = 0;
        } else if (minWidth == '*') {
            minWidth = +a[i++];
        } else if (minWidth.charAt(0) == '*') {
            minWidth = +a[minWidth.slice(1, -1)];
        } else {
            minWidth = +minWidth;
        }

        // Note: undocumented perl feature:
        if (minWidth < 0) {
            minWidth = -minWidth;
            leftJustify = true;
        }

        if (!isFinite(minWidth)) {
            throw new Error('sprintf: (minimum-)width must be finite');
        }

        if (!precision) {
            precision = 'fFeE'.indexOf(type) > -1 ? 6 : (type == 'd') ? 0 : undefined;
        } else if (precision == '*') {
            precision = +a[i++];
        } else if (precision.charAt(0) == '*') {
            precision = +a[precision.slice(1, -1)];
        } else {
            precision = +precision;
        }

        // grab value using valueIndex if required?
        value = valueIndex ? a[valueIndex.slice(0, -1)] : a[i++];

        switch (type) {
            case 's': return formatString(String(value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, customPadChar);
            case 'c': return formatString(String.fromCharCode(+value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
            case 'b': return formatBaseX(value, 2, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
            case 'o': return formatBaseX(value, 8, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
            case 'x': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
            case 'X': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad).toUpperCase();
            case 'u': return formatBaseX(value, 10, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
            case 'i':
            case 'd':
                number = parseInt(+value, 10);
                prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
                value = prefix + pad(String(Math.abs(number)), precision, '0', false);
                return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
            case 'e':
            case 'E':
            case 'f':
            case 'F':
            case 'g':
            case 'G':
                number = +value;
                prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
                method = ['toExponential', 'toFixed', 'toPrecision']['efg'.indexOf(type.toLowerCase())];
                textTransform = ['toString', 'toUpperCase']['eEfFgG'.indexOf(type) % 2];
                value = prefix + Math.abs(number)[method](precision);
                return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad)[textTransform]();
            default: return substring;
        }
    };

    return format.replace(regex, doFormat);
}
```

Press *Ctrl + Enter* to apply the change in the code editor.&#x20;

By default, the ECMAScript 5  standard does not provide a string formatting function, but since there are a huge number of developers who code in JavaScript, most typical tasks have already been solved, as in this case. The sprintf function ([<mark style="color:blue;">https://github.com/alexei/sprintf.js</mark>](https://github.com/alexei/sprintf.js)) has existed for several years now and is analogous to the PHP sprintf function.&#x20;

Go to the *Expressions* tab and click the *New Expression* button. For the expression that appeared, set the name *Message* and specify the data type STRING. Insert the following code into the expression code editor:

```javascript
var val = context.data['source_tag_trig'].state.value;
return sprintf('Formatted number: %.3f', val);
```

Press *Ctrl + Enter* to apply the change in the code editor. Go to the *Triggers* tab and click *Add Data*.... Select the previously created tag (*source\_tag*) as the data source for the trigger. Enter *source\_tag\_trig* as the name (key) of the trigger.

![](/files/Buqxqz3y35bXUYJkwvfN)

Go to the *Imports* tab and click the checkbox of the *Sprintf* module.&#x20;

![](/files/hIru8B0c2gw3DQJezY9x)

In order for the changes to take effect on the server, click the Sync button. If you switch to *Go Online* mode, you will see a picture similar to the following (in my case, the number *0.123456* is displayed).&#x20;

![](/files/AxYXWGN2AZV5I0ZAVY3h)


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