format

format, function

def const pure format(d: date, pattern: text): text
def const pure format(m: month, pattern: text): text
def const pure format(w: week, pattern: text): text
def const pure format(n: number, pattern: text): text
def const pure format(n: i64, pattern: text): text
def const pure format(n: f64, pattern: text): text

Formats the calendar value d, m, or w, or the number n, as text according to pattern.

• d: date to format.
• m: month to format.
• w: week to format.
• n: number to format.
• pattern: pattern controlling the rendered digits and separators. Calendar patterns are listed in datetimeformat.

Examples

d = date(2022, 9, 26)

table T = with
  [| as Pattern |]
  [| "yyyy-MM-dd" |]
  [| "M/dd/yy" |]
  [| "MMM d, yyyy" |]

T.Text = format(d, T.Pattern)

show table "Formats" with
  T.Pattern
  T.Text

This produces the following table:

m = month(2024, 2)
w = week(2024, 3)

show summary "Formats (month/week)" with
  format(m, "yyyy-MM")
  format(w, "yyyy-MM-dd")

For numbers, pattern controls zero-padding, decimal places, digit grouping, and percentage formatting.

table Formats = with
  [| as Value, as Pattern  |]
  [| 12.3,     "000.00"   |]
  [| 1234.5,   "#,##0.00" |]
  [| 0.256,    "0.0%"     |]

Formats.Text = format(Formats.Value, Formats.Pattern)

show table "Number formats" with
  Formats.Value
  Formats.Pattern
  Formats.Text

This produces the following table:

Remarks

The list of supported calendar specifiers is described in datetimeformat. The month and week overloads format the start of the period.

In an Envision numeric pattern, 0 emits a digit or pads with zero, while # emits a digit only when needed. A period marks the decimal separator, a comma between digit placeholders groups thousands, and % multiplies the value by 100 and appends a percent sign.

Text interpolation accepts the same calendar and numeric patterns.