USING( )

USING(templateString, numericExpression)

Description:

This function formats numericExpression as a string using templateString. The rules for the format are similar to those in Microsoft BASIC's PRINT USING statement, but since using( ) is a function, it can be used as part of a larger BASIC expression instead of being useful only for display output directly. The template string consists of the character "#" to indicate placement for numerals, and a single dot "." to indicate placement for the decimal point. The template string must be contained within double quotation marks. If there are more digits contained in a number than allowed for by the template string, the results will be rounded.

A template string looks like this:

  amount$ = using("######.##", 1234.56)

As part of a larger expression:

  notice "Your total is $" + using("####.##", 1234.5)

A template string can be expressed as a string variable:

  template$ = "######.##"
  amount$ = using(template$, 1234.56)

Using() may be used in conjunction with 'print'. The following two examples produce the same result:

  amount$ = using("######.##", 123456.78)
  print amount$
  print using("######.##", 123456.78)

Usage:

  'print a column of ten justified numbers
  for a = 1 to 10
    print using("####.##", rnd(1)*1000)
  next a

Sample output from the routine above:

   72.06
  244.28
  133.74
   99.64
  813.50
  529.65
  601.19
  697.91
    5.82
  619.22