It looks like C++20 will have std::format. The reference implementation is {fmt}. If you are looking for a printf() alternative now, this will become the new "standard" approach and is worth considering.
Original:
Use Boost.Format. It has printf-like syntax, type safety, std::string results, and lots of other nifty stuff. You won't go back.
Here's a nice function for a c++ sprintf. Streams can get ugly if you use them too heavily.
std::string string_format(std::string fmt, ...) {
int size=100;
std::string str;
va_list ap;
while (1) {
str.resize(size);
va_start(ap, fmt);
int n = vsnprintf(&str[0], size, fmt.c_str(), ap);
va_end(ap);
if (n > -1 && n < size) {
str.resize(n); // Make sure there are no trailing zero char
return str;
}
if (n > -1)
size = n + 1;
else
size *= 2;
}
}
In C++11 and later, std::string is guaranteed to use contiguous storage that ends with '\0', so it is legal to cast it to char * using &str[0].
Depending on what exactly you plan on sprintf()ing, std::to_string() might be useful and more idiomatic than other options:
void say(const std::string& message) {
// ...
}
int main() {
say(std::to_string(5));
say("Which is to say " + std::to_string(5) + " words");
}
The main advantage of std::to_string(), IMHO, is that it can be extended easily to support additional types that sprintf() can't even dream of stringifying - kind of like Java's Object.toString() method.