MATLAB Programming

Characters and Strings
If you specify field width or precision with identifiers, then you must specify
the value with an identifier as well:
sprintf('%1$*4$f %2$.*5$f %3$*6$.*7$f', ...
123.45678, 16.42837, pi, 15, 3, 6, 4)
ans =
123.456780 16.428 3.1416
Restrictions for Using Identifiers
If any of the formatting operators in a string include an identifier field, then
all of the operators in that string must do the same; you cannot use both
sequential and nonsequential ordering in the same function call.
Valid Syntax
sprintf('%d %d %d %d', ...
1, 2, 3, 4)
ans =
1 2 3 4
Invalid Syntax
sprintf('%d %3$d %d %d', ...
1, 2, 3, 4)
ans =
1
If your command provides more value arguments than there are formatting
operators in the format string, MATLAB reuses the operators. However,
MATLAB allows this only for commands that use sequential ordering.
You cannot reuse formatting operators when making a function call with
numbered ordering of the value arguments.
Valid Syntax
sprintf('%d', 1, 2, 3, 4)
ans =
1234
Invalid Syntax
sprintf('%1$d', 1, 2, 3, 4)
ans =
1
Also, do not use identifiers when the value arguments are in the form of a
vector or array:
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