Creating formatted output using picture strings

[ssteinerX@gmail.com]

On Feb 10, 2010, at 2:57 PM, Grant Edwards wrote:

> On 2010-02-10, python at bdurham.com <python at bdurham.com> wrote:
> 
> [regardning "picture" output format specifiers]
> 
>> I was thinking that there was a built-in function for this
>> common(?) use case
> 
> I haven't seen that paradigm since my one-and-only exposure to
> COBOL in a class I took back in 1979.  Is the "picture" thing
> commonly used in other places than COBOL?

Seriously?

I've seen it in dozens places other than COBOL over the years in everything from  templating languages to report generators, to built-in support in a variety of languages (dBASE II anyone?).

Haven't you ever had to get a e.g. a phone number or social security number from user input?

S