🖨️ ft_printf | 42 School Project

Because standard printf is too mainstream😉

"Why use standard printf when you can recreate the entire functionality from scratch?" - Every 1337/42 Student Do 😄

🎯 Project Overview

Welcome to my implementation of ft_printf - a custom printf function that replicates the behavior of the standard C library's printf(). This project is all about diving deep into variadic functions, type handling, and the intricate world of formatted output.

🌟 Key Features

• Full Printf Functionality: Supports multiple format specifiers
• Robust Error Handling: Carefully managed edge cases
• Recursive Implementation: Elegant and memory-efficient approach
• Extensible Design: Easy to understand and modify
• No Standard Library Shortcuts: Pure C implementation

📋 Supported Format Specifiers

Specifier	Description	Example
%c	Single character	ft_printf("%c", 'A')
%s	String	ft_printf("%s", "Hello")
%d	Signed decimal integer	ft_printf("%d", 1337)
%i	Signed decimal integer	ft_printf("%i", -17)
%u	Unsigned decimal integer	ft_printf("%u", 100)
%x	Lowercase hexadecimal	ft_printf("%x", 255)
%X	Uppercase hexadecimal	ft_printf("%X", 255)
%p	Pointer address	ft_printf("%p", &var)
%%	Percent sign	ft_printf("%%")

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Variadic Function (Recommended Resources Below)
• GCC compiler
• Make

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Variadic Function Resources 🌟

Below is a list of resources to help you master this topic, from detailed explanations to practical implementations.

📺 Video Tutorials

1. Variadic Functions by Oceano

• 🎥 Duration: Approx. 17 minutes
• 🌊 Overview: Explores the basics of variadic functions, their syntax, and their practical applications. Perfect for beginners who enjoy a straightforward teaching style.

2. Variadic Functions by Code Vault

• 🎥 Duration: Approx. 13 minutes
• 🛠️ Overview: A more advanced look at variadic functions, focusing on real-world coding examples and detailed implementation tips.

📚 Written Resources

3. Variadic Functions in C on GeeksforGeeks

• 🌐 Type: Article
• 📝 Overview: Covers the theoretical foundation, with code examples illustrating how variadic functions work. Includes topics like stdarg.h and the use of macros for handling arguments.

📌 Interactive Explanation

4. Detailed Variadic Function Explanation on Miro

• 🖼️ Type: Interactive Board
• 🧩 Overview: A visual and detailed explanation of variadic functions. Great for those who learn best through diagrams and hands-on exploration.

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Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yomazini/42cursus-ft_printf.git

1. Navigate to the project directory:

cd 42cursus-ft_printf

1. Compile the library:

# Compile the library
make

# Clean object files
make clean

# Clean everything
make fclean

# Recompile
make re

# Test
make test

💡 Implementation Details

🔍 Core Components

• Main Function: ft_printf - The entry point that handles format string parsing
• Format Handler: ft_format_pf - Dispatches to specific type handlers
• Type-Specific Handlers:
  • ft_putchar_pf: Character output
  • ft_putstr_pf: String output
  • ft_putnbr_pf: Integer output
  • ft_puthex_pf: Hexadecimal output
  • ft_putunbr_pf: Unsigned integer output
  • ft_putadr_pf: Pointer address output

🧠 Key Concepts Demonstrated

• Variadic function handling with <stdarg.h>
• Recursive printing techniques
• Dynamic type conversion
• Error management
• Memory-efficient character-by-character output

🔬 Interesting Challenges

• Handling integer edge cases (e.g., INT_MIN)
• Implementing hexadecimal conversion
• Managing pointer address printing
• Efficient recursive algorithms
• Robust error handling

📝 Usage Example

#include "ft_printf.h"

int main(void) {
    int num = 42;
    char *str = "Hello, 42!";
    
    ft_printf("Character: %c\n", 'A');
    ft_printf("String: %s\n", str);
    ft_printf("Decimal: %d\n", num);
    ft_printf("Hex (lowercase): %x\n", num);
    ft_printf("Hex (uppercase): %X\n", num);
    ft_printf("Pointer: %p\n", (void*)&num);
    
    return (0);
}

🧪 Testing

Recommended testing tools:

• Custom test cases (Go Crazy 😉)
• printf-tester

💻 Compilation

To use in your project:

# with main.c File
make test

🌈 Best Practices Demonstrated

• Modular design
• Extensive error checking
• Memory safety
• Efficient algorithms
• Clear, readable code

🏆 Performance Considerations

• Minimal memory allocation
• Recursive algorithms with O(log n) complexity
• No unnecessary buffer usage

📚 What I Learned

• Advanced C programming techniques
• Variadic function implementation
• Deep understanding of type conversion
• System-level output handling

🤝 Contribution

Feel free to:

• Open issues
• Submit pull requests
• Provide feedback

🎭 Author

Made with ☕️ and ☕️☕️☕️ by Youssef Mazini (ymazini)

• 42 Intra: ymazini
• GitHub: yomazini

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"In printf we trust, one character at a time!" 😄