PRINT (file statement)

The PRINT (file statement) statement prints numeric or string expressions to a sequential file, IO port or device.

Syntax

PRINT #fileNumber&, [ [expression] [{;|,] ... ]

Parameter(s)

• fileNumber& is the file number of a file or device opened for writing. See OPEN.
• expression is a numeric or string expression to be written to the file. Quotes will be removed from strings.
• The print statement can be followed by a semicolon to stop the print cursor or a comma to tab the next print.

Usage

• STRING values will be stripped of leading and trailing quotation marks when printed to the file. Use CHR$(34) to add quotes to a file.
• separator is used to separate multiple expressions and specifies how the file cursor is to be moved before writing the next expression. It can be one of the following:
  • semi-colon (;) - specifies that the print cursor stop immediately after the print. A subsequent print will start there.
  • comma (,) - specifies that the file cursor is to move to the next 14-column tab-stop. If the file cursor is at column 56 or greater, it is moved to the next file row at column 1.
• If separator is not used at the end of the expression list, the file cursor moves to the next file row at column 1.
• PRINT # can use the + concatenation operator or semicolons to combine strings.
• SPC(n%) - specifies that n% space characters will be written in a print.
• TAB(column%) - specifies that the file cursor is to move to a column number column%. If the file cursor is beyond that column, it is moved to that column on the next file row.
• When printing literal or variable numerical values the following rules apply:
  • If the value is positive, the number is prefixed with a space character, otherwise, the number is prefixed with a negative sign (-).
  • If the value is an INTEGER (whole number), no decimal point or fractional part will be written.
  • If the value is not an integer (whole number) and has zero for a coefficient, no leading zero is written. For example, -0.123 is written as "-.123 "
  • If a numeric literal is in scientific notation, the number is also written in scientific notation. PRINT USING (file statement) can return actual rounded numerical values in string form.
  • The numerical value is always followed by a space character unless STR$ is used to convert it to a string value.
• Whenever PRINT (file statement) moves the file cursor to a new file row, a carriage return character (CHR$(13)) followed by a line feed character (CHR$(10)) is written. The combination are referred to as the "CRLF" character.
• Note: RANDOM and BINARY files are not affected by PRINT # statements to them and will create a syntax error in QB64!

Example(s)

Prints data to a text file sequentially and reads it back to the program screen as one line of text.

filename$ = "testfile.dat" 
x = 1: y = 2: z$ = "Three" 

OPEN filename$ FOR OUTPUT AS #1 'opens and clears an existing file or creates new empty file 

PRINT #1, x, y, z$ 

CLOSE #1 

PRINT "File created with data. Press a key!" 

K$ = INPUT$(1) 'press a key 

OPEN filename$ FOR INPUT AS #2 'opens a file to read it 

LINE INPUT #2, text$ 

CLOSE #2 

PRINT text$ 
WRITE text$

END 

File content: PRINT (file statement) string file values will not include the enclosing quotation marks but can be read by LINE INPUT (file statement) as text.

 1             2            Three 

Screen output: PRINT string values will not display enclosing quotation marks. WRITE screen displays will.

 1             2            Three
" 1             2            Three"

See Also

• SPC, SPACE$, TAB
• PRINT USING (file statement)
• PRINT
• WRITE (file statement), INPUT (file statement)
• LINE INPUT (file statement)
• OPEN, LPRINT, WRITE