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  Table 15-1: Format Characters for Numeric Fields



  Character Effect on Format

  Number sign ( # ) Reserves a place for one digit.
  Decimal point (period)( . ) Determines decimal point location and reserves a place for the
                                                    radix point.
  Comma ( , ) Prints a comma before every third digit to the left of the decimal
                                                    point and reserves a place for one digit or digit separator.
  Two asterisks (
                      **

                        ) Print leading asterisks before the first digit and reserve places for
                                                    two digits.
  Two dollar signs ( $$ ) Print a currency symbol before the first digit. They also reserve
                                                    places for the currency symbol and one digit. By default, the cur-
                                                    rency symbol is a dollar sign. To change the currency symbol, see
                                                    
Section 15.3.3.3
  .
  Four carets ( ^^^^ ) Print a number in E (exponential) format and reserve four places
                                                    for E notation.
  Minus sign ( - ) Prints a trailing minus sign for negative numbers. Printing
                                                    a negative number in an asterisk-fill or a currency field re-
                                                    quires that the field also have a trailing minus sign or credit/debit
                                                    character.
  Zero in angle brackets (<0>) Prints leading zeros instead of leading spaces.
  Percent sign in angle brackets (<%>) Prints all spaces in the field if the value of the print item, when
                                                    rounded to fit the numeric field, is zero.
  CD in angle brackets (<CD>) Prints credit and debit characters immediately following the num-
                                                    ber. BASIC prints CR for negative numbers and zero, and DR for
                                                    positive numbers.
  Underscore ( _ ) Specifies that the next character is a literal, not a formatting
                                                    character.