implement an utils::print() function similar to fmt::print()

this doesn't have the constexpr requirement for the format string.
also it will help porting to std::format in C++20, which doesn't
have a similar functionality either.
This commit is contained in:
Axel Kohlmeyer
2025-01-23 00:03:30 -05:00
parent b4f012057c
commit 8baec60155
6 changed files with 80 additions and 20 deletions

View File

@ -300,18 +300,19 @@ Formatting with the {fmt} library
The LAMMPS source code includes a copy of the `{fmt} library
<https://fmt.dev>`_, which is preferred over formatting with the
"printf()" family of functions. The primary reason is that it allows
a typesafe default format for any type of supported data. This is
"printf()" family of functions. The primary reason is that it allows a
typesafe default format for any type of supported data. This is
particularly useful for formatting integers of a given size (32-bit or
64-bit) which may require different format strings depending on
compile time settings or compilers/operating systems. Furthermore,
{fmt} gives better performance, has more functionality, a familiar
formatting syntax that has similarities to ``format()`` in Python, and
provides a facility that can be used to integrate format strings and a
variable number of arguments into custom functions in a much simpler
way than the varargs mechanism of the C library. Finally, {fmt} has
been included into the C++20 language standard, so changes to adopt it
are future-proof.
64-bit) which may require different format strings depending on compile
time settings or compilers/operating systems. Furthermore, {fmt} gives
better performance, has more functionality, a familiar formatting syntax
that has similarities to ``format()`` in Python, and provides a facility
that can be used to integrate format strings and a variable number of
arguments into custom functions in a much simpler way than the varargs
mechanism of the C library. Finally, {fmt} has been included into the
C++20 language standard as ``std::format()``, so changes to adopt it are
future-proof, for as long as they are not using any extensions that are
not (yet) included into C++.
Formatted strings are frequently created by calling the
``fmt::format()`` function, which will return a string as a
@ -319,11 +320,13 @@ Formatted strings are frequently created by calling the
``printf()``, the {fmt} library uses ``{}`` to embed format descriptors.
In the simplest case, no additional characters are needed, as {fmt} will
choose the default format based on the data type of the argument.
Otherwise, the ``fmt::print()`` function may be used instead of
``printf()`` or ``fprintf()``. In addition, several LAMMPS output
functions, that originally accepted a single string as argument have
been overloaded to accept a format string with optional arguments as
well (e.g., ``Error::all()``, ``Error::one()``, ``utils::logmesg()``).
Otherwise, the :cpp:func:`utils::print() <LAMMPS_NS::utils::print>`
function may be used instead of ``printf()`` or ``fprintf()``. In
addition, several LAMMPS output functions, that originally accepted a
single string as argument have been overloaded to accept a format string
with optional arguments as well (e.g., ``Error::all()``,
``Error::one()``, :cpp:func:`utils::logmesg()
<LAMMPS_NS::utils::logmesg>`).
Summary of the {fmt} format syntax
==================================