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PaddedForm
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PaddedForm

✖
PaddedForm[expr,n]

prints with all numbers in expr padded to leave room for a total of n digits.

✖
PaddedForm[expr,{n,f}]

prints with approximate real numbers having exactly f digits to the right of the decimal point.

Details and Options

Examples

open allclose all

Basic Examples  (2)Summary of the most common use cases

Display the first 10 digits of a numeric approximation to :

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-s3etif
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-da1xe1

Display a number with 3 precise digits and 4 digits to the right of the decimal:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-co4ndf

Scope  (5)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

The default display for a machine number:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-3tuq2
Out[1]=1

Display more digits than the default:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-g5rxex

Display fewer digits:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-ih1j9z

Format a complex number:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-e2kf29

Format a high-precision number:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-cnqm2b
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-b1ylnq

Change the display of numbers in a vector:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-c84b3w
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-hp8brw

A matrix:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-bips1r
Out[3]=3
In[4]:=4
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-gjobz1

Change the display of inexact numbers in a mixed expression:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-f4ifyf
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-ggqubo

Options  (11)Common values & functionality for each option

DigitBlock  (2)

A default integer:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-oreeg

Digits separated in blocks of length 3:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-mfgvbm

Use five‐digit blocks with spaces as separators:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dmjeh5

ExponentFunction  (1)

Compute approximate powers of :

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-ljbpw5
Out[1]=1

Restrict exponents to multiples of 3:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-cr8dpq

Include exponents only for powers greater than 10:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-kyk7r

ExponentStep  (1)

Default formatting to 10 digits:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-idlunh

Restrict exponent to multiples of 6:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-d35xit

NumberFormat  (1)

Display numbers in a Fortran‐like form:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-jg3e9k
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-udll3

Display only the mantissas:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dozqkd

Display the exponents after converting to scientific form:

In[4]:=4
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dctwsg

NumberMultiplier  (1)

Use the default multiplier :

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-b4wap3

Use an asterisk (*) instead:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-gsz380

NumberPadding  (1)

The default pads on the left:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-jfxn4e

Pad with spaces on the right:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-w9auc

Pad with 0s on the right:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-fwz5ht

NumberPoint  (1)

The default is a period:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-g739xg

Display with a comma (,) instead:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-c3l8f9

NumberSeparator  (1)

The default separator is a comma (,):

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-cadcob

Use spaces instead:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-yufjk

NumberSigns  (1)

The default includes negative signs but not positive signs:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-c4t95y

Include positive signs as well:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-d768s

Use words instead of symbols:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dfenls

SignPadding  (1)

The default pads before signs:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dthdq1

Pad between signs and numbers instead:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-fjfuge

Applications  (1)Sample problems that can be solved with this function

Display approximations of with increasing precision and number of decimal digits:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-eia986
Out[1]=1

Align numbers on the decimal:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-603zr
Out[2]=2

Display in a tabular form:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-dufnjt

Properties & Relations  (5)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

PaddedForm and NumberForm use the same mantissas and exponents by default:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-i8lkfv
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-clh2nw

ScientificForm has a single digit to the left of the decimal:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-c4j4dm

EngineeringForm uses exponents that are multiples of 3:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-b0o9lf

AccountingForm does not have exponents:

In[5]:=5
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-mgsdj

Convert a number to base 2:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-ujxfp

Represent the number precise to 3 decimal digits in base 2:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-nhkc6o

Reconstruct the base-10 number precise to 3 digits:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-gct9lg
Out[3]=3

Change the display of numbers in MatrixForm or TableForm:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-k0xty5
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-8umv2
Out[2]=2

The typeset form of PaddedForm[expr,n] is interpreted the same as expr when used in input:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-5tera1
Out[1]=1

Copy the output and paste it into an input cell. The 1.2 is interpreted as 1.23:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-42bpl
Out[2]=2

When an input evaluates to PaddedForm[expr,n], PaddedForm does not appear in the output:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-g4h7g

Out is assigned the value 1.23, not PaddedForm[1.23,2]:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-5g8gji
Out[2]=2

Possible Issues  (3)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior

Placeholder zeros may be needed if the requested precision is small:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-bnt2gt

By default, room is set aside for the larger of the two number signs:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-iyj6yc
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-jwr84w

Even when an output omits PaddedForm from the top level, it is not stripped from subexpressions:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-q181da

The output does not have PaddedForm in it:

In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-e8vesu
Out[2]=2

However, the variable e does have PaddedForm in it, which may affect subsequent evaluations:

In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-kl165

The product is not evaluated due to the intervening PaddedForm:

In[4]:=4
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-o423az
Out[4]=4

Assign variables first and then apply PaddedForm to the result to maintain computability:

In[5]:=5
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-ivhw5k
In[6]:=6
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0enyqwtx2-oy9nr4
Out[6]=6
Wolfram Research (1991), PaddedForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.
✖
Wolfram Research (1991), PaddedForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1991), PaddedForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.

✖
Wolfram Research (1991), PaddedForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1991. "PaddedForm." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.

✖
Wolfram Language. 1991. "PaddedForm." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1991). PaddedForm. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html

✖
Wolfram Language. (1991). PaddedForm. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_paddedform, author="Wolfram Research", title="{PaddedForm}", year="1991", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html}", note=[Accessed: 08-May-2025 ]}

✖
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_paddedform, author="Wolfram Research", title="{PaddedForm}", year="1991", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html}", note=[Accessed: 08-May-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_paddedform, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={PaddedForm}, year={1991}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html}, note=[Accessed: 08-May-2025 ]}

✖
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_paddedform, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={PaddedForm}, year={1991}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PaddedForm.html}, note=[Accessed: 08-May-2025 ]}