GITHUB BLOG
Ecole42 Printf
ft_printf
This project is part of the 42 school curriculum. The objective is to implement a simplified version of the printf function in C, capable of handling various format specifiers.
Libft Usage
This project uses functions from the libft library, which was previously developed as part of the 42 cursus. Although libft is not an external dependency (it is included in the libft/ folder and compiled automatically by the Makefile), its use is essential for the implementation of this project. You can check the original repository here: ecole42-libft.
Objective
Recreate the behavior of the printf function using only allowed functions in the 42 school standards. This includes handling of characters, strings, integers, unsigned integers, hexadecimal numbers, and pointers.
Compilation
To compile and test the ft_printf function:
Usage
Format Specifiers Implemented
%c– Character%s– String%p– Pointer address%dor%i– Signed decimal integer%u– Unsigned decimal integer%x– Hexadecimal (lowercase)%X– Hexadecimal (uppercase)%%– A literal percent sign
Bonus Part
Although this project was built with a structure ready to support the bonus part (handling flags such as -, 0, ., #, space, and +), I decided not to implement the bonus features. The reason is that, despite being an interesting extension, the bonus requires significantly more time and complexity than the mandatory part, which I preferred to allocate to other learning priorities at this stage.
Still, the codebase is organized in a way that would make implementing the bonus part relatively straightforward in the future if desired.
Evaluation Criteria
- Correctness of output
- Memory handling (no leaks)
- Adherence to 42 coding standards
- Project organization and readability
Notes
This project is an excellent opportunity to understand variadic functions in C, low-level formatting, and dynamic memory handling. Once validated, ft_printf can be added to libft for reuse in future C projects.
