Shell
printf
Print formatted text.
printformatshellscript
Additional Notes
printf is a shell command used to print formatted text. It gives predictable, portable formatted output and is safer than echo for complex formatting.
printf is defined by POSIX and behaves the same across shells. Unlike echo, its behavior does not vary with shell options or implementations.
Syntax
printf [arguments]Parameters
options: Flags that change howprintfbehaves.arguments: Values consumed by the shell builtin or script command.command: Command line to run, test, wrap, or control.
Common Options
%s: Format a string.%d: Format an integer.\n: Print a newline.
Examples
printf "Hello\n"
printf "User: %s\n" "$USER"
printf "%04d\n" 7Practical Notes
printf is predictable in scripts because it does not vary as much between shells as echo.