[Tutor] Defining a "format string"

[Lisi]

Thanks, Noah and Steven.  :-)

On Sunday 26 June 2011 12:24:12 Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> Lisi wrote:
> > In the following excerpt from a program in the book I am following:
> >
> >    print "If I add %d, %d, and %d I get %d." % (
> >       my_age, my_height, my_weight, my_age + my_height + my_weight)
> >
> > is
> >
> > % (
> >       my_age, my_height, my_weight, my_age + my_height + my_weight)
> >
> > the/a format string?
>
> No. The format string is a string with the % codes. In this case, they
> are all %d codes:
>
> "If I add %d, %d, and %d I get %d."
>
> but there are other codes possible.
>
> The % symbol on its own is an operator, like + or * or /
>
> The part inside the brackets () is a tuple of values to insert into the
> format string. Putting the three together:
>
>
> target = "Hello %s."
> value = "Lisi"
> print target % value
>
> => prints "Hello Lisi."

At least I had managed to pick up correctly that the format string needed a % 
symbol!

So, if I have now understood correctly, a format string is a string containing 
at least one variable, and the variable(s) is/are preceded by the % symbol.  
Yes???

Lisi