Numeric formatting mask

A numeric-formatting mask specifies a format to apply to some numeric value. This mask is a combination of the following formatting directives:

Table 1. Numeric formatting mask directives
Character	Description
`*`	This character fills with asterisks any positions in the display field that would otherwise be blank.
`&`	This character fills with zeros any positions in the display field that would otherwise be blank.
`#`	This character changes leading zeros to blanks. Use this character to specify the maximum leftward extent of a field.
`<`	This character left-justifies the numbers in the display field. It changes leading zeros to a null string.
`,`	This character indicates the symbol that separates groups of three digits (counting leftward from the units position) in the whole-number part of the value. By default, this symbol is a comma. You can set the symbol with the DBMONEY environment variable. In a formatted number, this symbol appears only if the whole-number part of the value has four or more digits.
`.`	This character indicates the symbol that separates the whole-number part of a money value from the fractional part. By default, this symbol is a period. You can set the symbol with the DBMONEY environment variable. You can have only one period in a format string.
`-`	This character is a literal. It appears as a minus sign when the expression is less than zero. When you group several minus signs in a row, a single minus sign floats to the rightmost position that it can occupy; it does not interfere with the number and its currency symbol.
`+`	This character is a literal. It appears as a plus sign when the expression is greater than or equal to zero and as a minus sign when expr1 is less than zero. When you group several plus signs in a row, a single plus or minus sign floats to the rightmost position that it can occupy; it does not interfere with the number and its currency symbol.
`(`	This character is a literal. It appears as a left parenthesis to the left of a negative number. It is one of the pair of accounting parentheses that replace a minus sign for a negative number. When you group several in a row, a single left parenthesis floats to the rightmost position that it can occupy; it does not interfere with the number and its currency symbol.
`)`	This is one of the pair of accounting parentheses that replace a minus sign for a negative value.
`$`	This character displays the currency symbol that appears at the front of the numeric value. By default, the currency symbol is the dollar sign ($). You can set the currency symbol with the DBMONEY environment variable. When you group several dollar signs in a row, a single currency symbol floats to the rightmost position that it can occupy; it does not interfere with the number.

Any other characters in the formatting mask are reproduced literally in the result.

Table 2. Numeric formatting mask examples
Mask	Numeric value	Formatted String
`-##,###.##`	-12345.67 12345.67 113.11	`-12,234.67` `b12,345.67` `bbbb113.11`
`##,###.##`	-12345.67 12345.67	`12,345.67` `12,345.67`
`--,---.&&`	-445.67	`bb-445.67`
`$$,$$$.&&`	2345.67 445.67	`$2,345.67` `bb$445.67`