# Python String Formatting
To make sure a string will display as expected, we can format the result with the `format()` method.
***
### String format()
The `format()` method allows you to format selected parts of a string.
Sometimes there are parts of a text that you do not control, maybe they come from a database, or user input?
To control such values, add placeholders (curly brackets `{}`) in the text, and run the values through the `format()` method:
#### Example
Add a placeholder where you want to display the price:
```python
price = 49
txt = "The price is {} dollars"
print(txt.format(price))
```
You can add parameters inside the curly brackets to specify how to convert the value:
#### Example
Format the price to be displayed as a number with two decimals:
```python
txt = "The price is {:.2f} dollars"
```
### Multiple Values
If you want to use more values, just add more values to the format() method:
```python
print(txt.format(price, itemno, count))
```
And add more placeholders:
#### Example
```python
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49
myorder = "I want {} pieces of item number {} for {:.2f} dollars."
print(myorder.format(quantity, itemno, price))
```
### Index Numbers
You can use index numbers (a number inside the curly brackets `{0}`) to be sure the values are placed in the correct placeholders:
#### Example
```python
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49
myorder = "I want {0} pieces of item number {1} for {2:.2f} dollars."
print(myorder.format(quantity, itemno, price))
```
Also, if you want to refer to the same value more than once, use the index number:
#### Example
```python
age = 36
name = "John"
txt = "His name is {1}. {1} is {0} years old."
print(txt.format(age, name))
```
### Named Indexes
You can also use named indexes by entering a name inside the curly brackets `{carname}`, but then you must use names when you pass the parameter values `txt.format(carname = "Ford")`:
#### Example
```python
myorder = "I have a {carname}, it is a {model}."
print(myorder.format(carname = "Ford", model = "Mustang"))
```
## Python String format() Method
#### Example
Insert the price inside the placeholder, the price should be in fixed point, two-decimal format:
```python
txt = "For only {price:.2f} dollars!"
print(txt.format(price = 49))
```
### Definition and Usage
The `format()` method formats the specified value(s) and insert them inside the string's placeholder.
The placeholder is defined using curly brackets: {}. Read more about the placeholders in the Placeholder section below.
The `format()` method returns the formatted string.
***
### Syntax
*string*.format(*value1, value2...*)
### Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| *value1, value2...* | Required. One or more values that should be formatted and inserted in the string.
The values are either a list of values separated by commas, a key=value list, or a combination of both.
The values can be of any data type.
|
***
### The Placeholders
The placeholders can be identified using named indexes `{price}`, numbered indexes `{0}`, or even empty placeholders `{}`.
#### Example
Using different placeholder values:
```python
txt1 = "My name is {fname}, I'm {age}".format(fname = "John", age = 36)
txt2 = "My name is {0}, I'm {1}".format("John",36)
txt3 = "My name is {}, I'm {}".format("John",36)
```
#### Formatting Types
Inside the placeholders you can add a formatting type to format the result:
| `:<` | Left aligns the result (within the available space) |
| ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `:>` | Right aligns the result (within the available space) |
| `:^` | Center aligns the result (within the available space) |
| `:=` | Places the sign to the left most position |
| `:+` | Use a plus sign to indicate if the result is positive or negative |
| `:-` | Use a minus sign for negative values only |
| `:` | Use a space to insert an extra space before positive numbers (and a minus sign before negative numbers) |
| `:,` | Use a comma as a thousand separator |
| `:_` | Use a underscore as a thousand separator |
| `:b` | Binary format |
| `:c` | Converts the value into the corresponding unicode character |
| `:d` | Decimal format |
| `:e` | Scientific format, with a lower case e |
| `:E` | Scientific format, with an upper case E |
| `:f` | Fix point number format |
| `:F` | Fix point number format, in uppercase format (show `inf` and `nan` as `INF` and `NAN`) |
| `:g` | General format |
| `:G` | General format (using a upper case E for scientific notations) |
| `:o` | Octal format |
| `:x` | Hex format, lower case |
| `:X` | Hex format, upper case |
| `:n` | Number format |
| `:%` | Percentage format |
Example
```python
#Use "%" to convert the number into a percentage format:
txt = "You scored {:%}"
print(txt.format(0.25))
#Or, without any decimals:
txt = "You scored {:.0%}"
print(txt.format(0.25))
```
```python
#Use "X" to convert the number into upper-case Hex format:
txt = "The Hexadecimal version of {0} is {0:X}"
print(txt.format(255))
```
```python
#Use "d" to convert a number, in this case a binary number, into decimal number format:
txt = "We have {:d} chickens."
print(txt.format(0b101))
```
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