`format`

Sets how numbers are displayed in output.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Entering Commands

Syntax

format

Returns to the default, short.

format long

Shows about 15 significant digits for doubles and 7 for singles.

format short

Shows 5 significant digits, such as 3.1416.

format short e

Other styles are long e, short g, long g, bank, rat, hex and +.

Description

format changes only how values are printed, never how they are stored or computed. It affects results shown without a semicolon and disp, but not fprintf or num2str, which use their own conversion rules.

The setting stays until changed again. Integer types are not affected.

Input arguments

style: Name of the display style, such as short, long, short e, long e, short g, long g, bank, rat, hex or +. It can also be given as format('long').

Example

Short and long

format long
pi
single(pi)
format short
pi

Output

ans = 3.141592653589793
ans = single
   3.1415927
ans = 3.1416

Notes

compact and loose are accepted, but the display is always compact. Complex numbers under format rat are spaced differently from MATLAB.

format