What does “^L” mean in C?












20















For example, main in src/hello.c in the GNU Hello package ends like this:



   exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}
^L









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  • 2





    It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

    – Hot Licks
    2 hours ago
















20















For example, main in src/hello.c in the GNU Hello package ends like this:



   exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}
^L









share|improve this question




















  • 2





    It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

    – Hot Licks
    2 hours ago














20












20








20


5






For example, main in src/hello.c in the GNU Hello package ends like this:



   exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}
^L









share|improve this question
















For example, main in src/hello.c in the GNU Hello package ends like this:



   exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
}
^L






c






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 3 hours ago









Peter Mortensen

13.8k1987113




13.8k1987113










asked 18 hours ago









Sean LetendreSean Letendre

4631621




4631621








  • 2





    It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

    – Hot Licks
    2 hours ago














  • 2





    It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

    – Hot Licks
    2 hours ago








2




2





It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

– Hot Licks
2 hours ago





It means that the program's done ... to L with it!

– Hot Licks
2 hours ago












1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















35














Literally, it's a page break ("form feed") character. The compiler treats it as ordinary whitespace. But it's very useful for printing source code - it starts a new page (for example, use ^L between functions to force each call to get its own page).



In Vim/vi based editors, you can insert such a character within edit mode by typing Ctrl + V followed by Ctrl + L. It will look like ^L in the editor, but it's actually just one character (ASCII value: 12 or 0x0C).






share|improve this answer


























  • "it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

    – FireCubez
    5 hours ago






  • 2





    If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

    – Hermann
    4 hours ago






  • 5





    Literally this

    – selbie
    4 hours ago






  • 3





    @Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

    – user207421
    3 hours ago






  • 2





    @Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

    – naomimyselfandi
    3 hours ago











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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









35














Literally, it's a page break ("form feed") character. The compiler treats it as ordinary whitespace. But it's very useful for printing source code - it starts a new page (for example, use ^L between functions to force each call to get its own page).



In Vim/vi based editors, you can insert such a character within edit mode by typing Ctrl + V followed by Ctrl + L. It will look like ^L in the editor, but it's actually just one character (ASCII value: 12 or 0x0C).






share|improve this answer


























  • "it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

    – FireCubez
    5 hours ago






  • 2





    If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

    – Hermann
    4 hours ago






  • 5





    Literally this

    – selbie
    4 hours ago






  • 3





    @Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

    – user207421
    3 hours ago






  • 2





    @Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

    – naomimyselfandi
    3 hours ago
















35














Literally, it's a page break ("form feed") character. The compiler treats it as ordinary whitespace. But it's very useful for printing source code - it starts a new page (for example, use ^L between functions to force each call to get its own page).



In Vim/vi based editors, you can insert such a character within edit mode by typing Ctrl + V followed by Ctrl + L. It will look like ^L in the editor, but it's actually just one character (ASCII value: 12 or 0x0C).






share|improve this answer


























  • "it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

    – FireCubez
    5 hours ago






  • 2





    If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

    – Hermann
    4 hours ago






  • 5





    Literally this

    – selbie
    4 hours ago






  • 3





    @Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

    – user207421
    3 hours ago






  • 2





    @Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

    – naomimyselfandi
    3 hours ago














35












35








35







Literally, it's a page break ("form feed") character. The compiler treats it as ordinary whitespace. But it's very useful for printing source code - it starts a new page (for example, use ^L between functions to force each call to get its own page).



In Vim/vi based editors, you can insert such a character within edit mode by typing Ctrl + V followed by Ctrl + L. It will look like ^L in the editor, but it's actually just one character (ASCII value: 12 or 0x0C).






share|improve this answer















Literally, it's a page break ("form feed") character. The compiler treats it as ordinary whitespace. But it's very useful for printing source code - it starts a new page (for example, use ^L between functions to force each call to get its own page).



In Vim/vi based editors, you can insert such a character within edit mode by typing Ctrl + V followed by Ctrl + L. It will look like ^L in the editor, but it's actually just one character (ASCII value: 12 or 0x0C).







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 3 hours ago









Peter Mortensen

13.8k1987113




13.8k1987113










answered 18 hours ago









selbieselbie

56.3k1063124




56.3k1063124













  • "it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

    – FireCubez
    5 hours ago






  • 2





    If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

    – Hermann
    4 hours ago






  • 5





    Literally this

    – selbie
    4 hours ago






  • 3





    @Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

    – user207421
    3 hours ago






  • 2





    @Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

    – naomimyselfandi
    3 hours ago



















  • "it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

    – FireCubez
    5 hours ago






  • 2





    If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

    – Hermann
    4 hours ago






  • 5





    Literally this

    – selbie
    4 hours ago






  • 3





    @Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

    – user207421
    3 hours ago






  • 2





    @Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

    – naomimyselfandi
    3 hours ago

















"it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

– FireCubez
5 hours ago





"it starts a new page" elaborate on this? What do you mean by a page exactly?

– FireCubez
5 hours ago




2




2





If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

– Hermann
4 hours ago





If you would print the source code on paper, the printer would… start a new page.

– Hermann
4 hours ago




5




5





Literally this

– selbie
4 hours ago





Literally this

– selbie
4 hours ago




3




3





@Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

– user207421
3 hours ago





@Croll Obviously that's been a short life. You've never had to deal with hundreds of pages of listing s from a line printer. You'd use it all right.

– user207421
3 hours ago




2




2





@Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

– naomimyselfandi
3 hours ago





@Croll Well, it's hardly the first time someone's used whitespace to make code format nicely, is it?

– naomimyselfandi
3 hours ago




















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