vault backup: 2024-09-11 12:41:34

education/software development/ECE1400/C.md

@@ -72,4 +72,13 @@ printf("You input: %f", v);
 ### Behavior
 The validity of a `scanf` call is not necessarily checked at compile time, and so the number of outputs specified should match the number of inputs. 
 
-For each formatting specifier specified in the string, `scanf` will attempt to locate an appropriate value in the input, skipping whitespace and newlines if necessary. As `scanf`
+For each formatting specifier specified in the string, `scanf` will attempt to locate an appropriate value in the input, skipping whitespace and newlines if necessary until the beginning of a number is reached.
+
+When asked to read an integer, `scanf` searches for one of:
+- A digit
+- A plus or minus sign
+It will continue to read until it reaches a nondigit (whitespace is not skipped in this case, and it is counted as a nondigit). If it doesn't encounter a valid digit first, it will return early. 
+
+When asked to read a float, `scanf` searches for one of:
+- A plus sign or minus sign
+- A series of digits (possibly containing a decimal point), followed by an exponent (optional). An exponent consists of the letter `e` or `E`