LC_MONETARY Category for the Locale Definition Source File Format

Purpose

Defines rules and symbols for formatting monetary numeric information.

Description

The LC_MONETARY category of a locale definition source file defines rules and symbols for formatting monetary numeric information. This category begins with an LC_MONETARY category header and terminates with an END LC_MONETARY category trailer.

All operands for the LC_MONETARY category keywords are defined as string or integer values. String values are enclosed by " " (double-quotation marks). All values are separated from the keyword they define by one or more spaces. Two adjacent double-quotation marks indicate an undefined string value. A -1 indicates an undefined integer value. The following keywords are recognized in the LC_MONETARY category:

Item Description
copy Specifies the name of an existing locale to be used as the definition of this category. If a copy statement is included in the file, no other keyword can be specified.
int_curr_symbol Specifies the string used for the international currency symbol. The operand for the int_curr_symbol keyword is a four-character string. The first three characters contain the alphabetic international-currency symbol. The fourth character specifies a character separator between the international currency symbol and a monetary quantity.
currency_symbol Specifies the string used for the local currency symbol.
mon_decimal_point Specifies the string used for the decimal delimiter used to format monetary quantities.
mon_thousands_sep Specifies the character separator used for grouping digits to the left of the decimal delimiter in formatted monetary quantities.
mon_grouping Specifies a string that defines the size of each group of digits in formatted monetary quantities. The operand for the mon_grouping keyword consists of a sequence of semicolon-separated integers. Each integer specifies the number of digits in a group. The initial integer defines the size of the group immediately to the left of the decimal delimiter. The following integers define succeeding groups to the left of the previous group. If the last integer is not -1, the size of the previous group (if any) is repeatedly used for the remainder of the digits. If the last integer is -1, no further grouping is performed.

The following is an example of the interpretation of the mon_grouping statement. Assuming the value to be formatted is 123456789 and the operand for the mon_thousands_sep keyword is ' (single-quotation mark), the following results occur:
mon_grouping Value Formatted Value
3;-1 123456'789
3 123'456'789
3;2;-1 1234'56'789
3;2 12'34'56'789
-1
123456789
positive_sign Specifies the string used to indicate a nonnegative-valued formatted monetary quantity.
negative_sign Specifies the string used to indicate a negative-valued formatted monetary quantity.
int_frac_digits Specifies an integer value representing the number of fractional digits (those after the decimal delimiter) to be displayed in a formatted monetary quantity using the int_curr_symbol value.
frac_digits Specifies an integer value representing the number of fractional digits (those after the decimal delimiter) to be displayed in a formatted monetary quantity using the currency_symbol value.
p_cs_precedes Specifies an integer value indicating whether the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string precedes or follows the value for a nonnegative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that the currency symbol follows the monetary quantity.
1
Indicates that the currency symbol precedes the monetary quantity.
p_sep_by_space Specifies an integer value indicating whether the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string is separated by a space from a nonnegative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that no space separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
1
Indicates that a space separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
2
Indicates that a space separates the currency symbol and the positive_sign string, if adjacent.
n_cs_precedes Specifies an integer value indicating whether the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string precedes or follows the value for a negative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that the currency symbol follows the monetary quantity.
1
Indicates that the currency symbol precedes the monetary quantity.
n_sep_by_space Specifies an integer value indicating whether the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string is separated by a space from a negative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that no space separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
1
Indicates that a space separates the currency symbol from the monetary quantity.
2
Indicates that a space separates the currency symbol and the negative_sign string, if adjacent.
p_sign_posn Specifies an integer value indicating the positioning of the positive_sign string for a nonnegative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that a left_parenthesis and right_parenthesis symbol enclose both the monetary quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
1
Indicates that the positive_sign string precedes the quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
2
Indicates that the positive_sign string follows the quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
3
Indicates that the positive_sign string immediately precedes the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
4
Indicates that the positive_sign string immediately follows the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
n_sign_posn Specifies an integer value indicating the positioning of the negative_sign string for a negative formatted monetary quantity. The following integer values are recognized:
0
Indicates that a left_parenthesis and right_parenthesis symbol enclose both the monetary quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
1
Indicates that the negative_sign string precedes the quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
2
Indicates that the negative_sign string follows the quantity and the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
3
Indicates that the negative_sign string immediately precedes the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
4
Indicates that the negative_sign string immediately follows the int_curr_symbol or currency_symbol string.
debit_sign Specifies the string used for the debit symbol (DB) to indicate a nonnegative formatted monetary quantity.
credit_sign Specifies the string used for the credit symbol (CR) to indicate a negative formatted monetary quantity.
left_parenthesis Specifies the character, equivalent to a ( (left parenthesis), used by the p_sign_posn and n_sign_posn statements to enclose a monetary quantity and currency symbol.
right_parenthesis Specifies the character, equivalent to a ) (right parenthesis), used by the p_sign_posn and n_sign_posn statements to enclose a monetary quantity and currency symbol.

A unique customized monetary format can be produced by changing the value of a single statement. For example, the following table shows the results of using all combinations of defined values for the p_cs_precedes, p_sep_by_space, and p_sign_posn statements.

Table 1. Results of Various Locale Variable Value Combinations
Item Description
p_cs_precedes p_sign_posn p_sep_by_space =
p_cs_precedes = 1 p_sign_posn = 0
2
($1.25)
1
($ 1.25)
0
($1.25)
  p_sign_posn = 1
2
+ $1.25
1
+$ 1.25
0
+$1.25
  p_sign_posn = 2
2
$1.25 +
1
$ 1.25+
0
$1.25+
  p_sign_posn = 3
2
+ $1.25
1
+$ 1.25
0
+$1.25
  p_sign_posn = 4
2
$ +1.25
1
$+ 1.25
0
$+1.25
p_cs_precedes = 0 p_sign_posn = 0
2
(1.25 $)
1
(1.25 $)
0
(1.25$)
  p_sign_posn = 1
2
+1.25 $
1
+1.25 $
0
+1.25$
  p_sign_posn = 2
2
1.25$ +
1
1.25 $+
0
1.25$+
  p_sign_posn = 3
2
1.25+ $
1
1.25 +$
0
1.25+$
  p_sign_posn = 4
2
1.25$ +
1
1.25 $+
0
1.25$+

Example

The following is an example of a possible LC_MONETARY category listed in a locale definition source file:

LC_MONETARY
#
int_curr_symbol  "<U><S><D>"
currency_symbol  "<dollar-sign>"
mon_decimal_point        "<period>"
mon_thousands_sep        "<comma>"
mon_grouping             <3>
positive_sign            "<plus-sign>"
negative_sign            "<hyphen>"
int_frac_digits  <2>
frac_digits              <2>
p_cs_precedes            <1>
p_sep_by_space   <2>
n_cs_precedes            <1>
n_sep_by_space   <2>
p_sign_posn              <3>
n_sign_posn              <3>
debit_sign               "<D><B>"
credit_sign              "<C><R>"
left_parenthesis         "<left-parenthesis>"
right_parenthesis        "<right-parenthesis>"
#
END LC_MONETARY

Files

Item Description
/usr/lib/nls/loc/* Specifies locale definition source files for supported locales.
/usr/lib/nls/charmap/* Specifies character set description (charmap) source files for supported locales.