ft_printf

This repository contains my implementation of the ft_printf function, a core project in the 42 School curriculum.

The goal of this project is to recreate the standard C printf function while meeting specific requirements and constraints, deepening the understanding of variadic functions, formatted output, and memory management.

About ft_printf

ft_printf is a variadic function, meaning it accepts a variable number of arguments. The first argument is a format string that defines how the subsequent arguments are formatted and displayed. The function processes the format string, parsing specifiers like %d, %s, %c, etc., and outputs the corresponding formatted values.

Key Concepts

• Variadic Functions:

  • The <stdarg.h> library is used to handle variadic functions, enabling the processing of a variable number of arguments.
  • Key macros:
    • va_start: Initializes the va_list for use.
    • va_arg: Retrieves the next argument from the list.
    • va_end: Cleans up the va_list after processing.

• Return Type:

  • The function returns the total number of characters printed.
  • If an error occurs, ft_printf returns -1.

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Functions Overview

Function	Description
ft_printf(const char *str, ...)	The main function that processes the format string and handles the variadic arguments. It returns the total number of characters printed.
ft_printf_format(char specifier, va_list arg_ptr)	A helper function that processes individual format specifiers (e.g., %c, %d, %s).
ft_printf_c(int c)	Handles the %c format specifier and prints a character.
ft_printf_s(char *s)	Handles the %s format specifier and prints a string.
ft_printf_d(int n)	Handles the %d format specifier and prints a signed integer.
ft_printf_u(unsigned int n)	Handles the %u format specifier and prints an unsigned integer.
ft_printf_p(void *ptr)	Handles the %p format specifier and prints a pointer address.
ft_printf_x(unsigned int n, char specifier)	Handles the %x and %X format specifiers to print a hexadecimal value (lowercase/uppercase).
ft_printf_hex(unsigned long n)	Prints a hexadecimal value (lowercase) of the given unsigned long integer.
ft_printf_hex_upper(unsigned long n)	Prints a hexadecimal value (uppercase) of the given unsigned long integer.