Size prefixes are required in ANSI C programs that use
printf() to indicate the size and type of the
conversion argument. The D compiler performs this processing for
your printf calls automatically, so size
prefixes are not required. Although size prefixes are provided
for C compatibility, their use is explicitly discouraged in D
programs because they bind your code to a particular data model
when using derived types.
For example, if a typedef is redefined to
different integer base types depending on the data model, it is
not possible to use a single C conversion that works in both
data models without explicitly knowing the two underlying types
and including a cast expression or defining multiple format
strings. The D compiler solves this problem automatically by
enabling you to omit size prefixes and automatically determining
the argument size.
Size prefixes can be placed just prior to the format conversion name and after any flags, widths, and precision specifiers and are as follows:
An optional
hspecifies that a followingd,i,o,u,x, orXconversion applies to ashortor unsignedshort.An optional
lspecifies that a followingd,i,o,u,x, orXconversion applies to alongor unsignedlong.An optional
llspecifies that a followingd,i,o,u,x, orXconversion applies to along longor unsignedlong long.An optional
Lspecifies that a followinge,E,f,g, orGconversion applies to alongdouble.An optional
lspecifies that a followingcconversion applies to awint_targument, and that a followingsconversion character applies to a pointer to awchar_targument.