< C Programming

In computing, locale.h is a C programming language header file, used for purposes of localization. The header provides two key functions: localeconv and setlocale. The former provides access to the current locale, while the latter allows one to set the current locale. The header also defines the struct lconv, which stores information about a given locale, including the local preference for the display of numbers and currency.

Synopsis

#include <locale.h>

char *setlocale(int category, const char *locale);
struct lconv *localeconv(void);

Description

setlocale() function

The setlocale() function is used to set or query the program's current locale.

If locale is not NULL, the program's current locale is modified according to the arguments. The argument category determines which parts of the program's current locale should be modified.

If locale is NULL, the current locale is only queried, not modified.

localeconv() function

The localeconv() function returns a pointer to a struct lconv for the current locale. This structure is shown in next section below, and contains all values associated with the locale categories LC_NUMERIC and LC_MONETARY. Programs may also use the functions printf() and strfmon(), which behave according to the actual locale in use.

lconv struct

The struct lconv contains the following fields:

Numeric (nonmonetary) information

char *decimal_point;

Radix character.

char *thousands_sep;

Separator for digit groups to left of radix character.

char *grouping;

Each element is the number of digits in a group; elements with higher indices are further left. An element with value CHAR_MAX means that no further grouping is done. An element with value 0 means that the previous element is used for all groups further left.

Monetary information

char *int_curr_symbol;

First three chars are a currency symbol from ISO 4217. Fourth char is the separator. Fifth char is '\0'.

char *currency_symbol;

Local currency symbol.

char *mon_decimal_point;

Like decimal_point above.

char *mon_thousands_sep;

Like thousands_sep above.

char *mon_grouping;

Like grouping above.

char *positive_sign;

Sign for positive values.

char *negative_sign;

Sign for negative values.

char  int_frac_digits;

International fractional digits.

char  frac_digits;

Local fractional digits.

char  p_cs_precedes;

1 if currency_symbol precedes a positive value, 0 if succeeds.

char  p_sep_by_space;

1 if a space separates currency_symbol from a positive value.

char  n_cs_precedes;

1 if currency_symbol precedes a negative value, 0 if succeeds.

char  n_sep_by_space;

1 if a space separates currency_symbol from a negative value.

char  p_sign_posn;
char  n_sign_posn;

Positive and negative sign positions:

  • 0: Parentheses surround the quantity and currency_symbol.
  • 1: The sign string precedes the quantity and currency_symbol.
  • 2: The sign string succeeds the quantity and currency_symbol.
  • 3: The sign string immediately precedes the currency_symbol.
  • 4: The sign string immediately succeeds the currency_symbol.

Example

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <locale.h>

int main(void)
{
    /* Locale is set to "C" before this. This call sets it
       to the "current locale" by reading environment variables: */
    setlocale(LC_ALL, "");

    const struct lconv * const currentlocale = localeconv();

    printf("In the current locale, the default currency symbol is: %s\n",
        currentlocale->currency_symbol);

    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

References

  1. locale.h by OpenGroup
  2. localeconv by OpenGroup
  3. setlocale by OpenGroup
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