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fmt: %*d is too picky about type of length #10732

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rsc opened this issue May 7, 2015 · 2 comments
Closed

fmt: %*d is too picky about type of length #10732

rsc opened this issue May 7, 2015 · 2 comments
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Go1.6

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@rsc
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rsc commented May 7, 2015

I am writing a program with a bit buffer and a bit count. For good reasons it makes sense for the count to be something other than int (for example, you're shifting by it a lot, so it makes sense for it to be unsigned).

package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
    var bits uintptr = 5
    var count uintptr = 5
    fmt.Printf("%*b\n", count, bits)
}

prints "%!(BADWIDTH)101". http://play.golang.org/p/BGxyBdPV5E

It seems like maybe fmt should allow any integer type for the width. It's a tiny bit more effort in the code and it eliminates an annoyance for users. In my case I didn't know what BADWIDTH meant and at first thought the value was actually bad in some way. It was only when I was about to read the docs that I realized the problem was likely the type.

@robpike
@robpike robpike self-assigned this May 7, 2015
@robpike robpike added this to the Go1.5 milestone May 7, 2015
@robpike
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robpike commented May 7, 2015

Don't know how to fix this without adding an allocation to every print. I tried the obvious thing and the test failed:

fmt_test.go:961: Sprintf("%x"): got 3 allocs, want <=2

etc. I believe the problem is that the arrival of reflection causes the argument to escape.

Before the change, given Printf("%x", 3):

go tool 6g -m x.go
x.go:6: 3 escapes to heap
x.go:6: main ... argument does not escape

After the change:

dunnart=% go tool 6g -m x.go
x.go:6: ... argument escapes to heap
x.go:6: 3 escapes to heap

Without reflection there is no way to handle every integer type. I could handle int and uint but that seems unsatisfactory.

@robpike robpike modified the milestones: Unplanned, Go1.5 Jun 2, 2015
@robpike
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robpike commented Aug 5, 2015

Update: This now works without allocation:
v := reflect.ValueOf(a[argNum])
switch v.Kind() {
case reflect.Int:
isInt = true
num = int(v.Int())
}
so we are clear to fix this. Not sure what changed, if anything. Adding to 1.6.

@robpike robpike modified the milestones: Go1.6, Unplanned Aug 5, 2015
@golang golang locked and limited conversation to collaborators Sep 22, 2016
@rsc rsc unassigned robpike Jun 23, 2022
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