# std::make_format_args, std::make_wformat_args

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< cpp‎ | utility‎ | format

Defined in header `<format>` |  |
template< class Context = std::format_context, class... Args > /*format-arg-store*/<Context, Args...> make_format_args( Args&... args ); | (1) | (since C++20)
template< class... Args > /*format-arg-store*/< std::wformat_context, Args...> make_wformat_args( Args&... args ); | (2) | (since C++20)

Returns an object that stores an array of formatting arguments and can be implicitly converted to std::basic_format_args<Context>.

The behavior is undefined if typename Context::template formatter_type< std::remove_const_t <Ti>> does not meet the BasicFormatter requirements for any `Ti` in `Args`.

The program is ill-formed if for any type `Ti` in `Args`, `Ti` does not satisfy `__formattable_with` <Context>.

2) Equivalent to return std::make_format_args< std::wformat_context >(args...);.

### Parameters

args... | - | values to be used as formatting arguments

### Returns

An object that holds the formatting arguments.

For each argument `t` of type `T`, let `TD` be std::remove_const_t < std::remove_reference_t <T>>. The corresponding std::basic_format_arg in the result is determined as below:

- if `TD` is bool or `Context::char_type`, the std::basic_format_arg stores t;
- otherwise, if `TD` is char and `Context::char_type` is wchar_t, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<wchar_t>(static_cast<unsigned char>(t));
- otherwise, if `TD` is a signed integer type whose size is not greater than int, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<int>(t);
- otherwise, if `TD` is a unsigned integer type whose size is not greater than unsigned int, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<unsigned int>(t);
- otherwise, if `TD` is a signed integer type whose size is not greater than long long, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<long long>(t);
- otherwise, if `TD` is a unsigned integer type whose size is not greater than unsigned long long, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<unsigned long long>(t);
- otherwise, if `TD` is float, double, or long double, the std::basic_format_arg stores t;
- otherwise, if `TD` is a std::basic_string_view or std::basic_string specialization and `TD::char_type` is `Context::char_type`, the std::basic_format_arg stores std::basic_string_view <Context::char_type>(t.data(), t.size());
- otherwise, if std::decay_t <TD> is Context::char_type* or const Context::char_type*, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<const Context::char_type*>(t);
- otherwise, if std::is_void_v < std::remove_pointer_t <TD>> is true or std::is_null_pointer_v <TD> is true, the std::basic_format_arg stores static_cast<const void*>(t);
- otherwise, the std::basic_format_arg stores a std::basic_format_arg <Context>::handle to `t`, along with extra data needed for `handle::format()`.

### Notes

A formatting argument has reference semantics for user-defined types and does not extend the lifetime of args. It is the programmer's responsibility to ensure that args outlive the return value. Usually, the result is only used as argument to formatting function.

Feature-test macro | Value | Std | Feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
`__cpp_lib_format_uchar` | `202311L` | (C++20) (DR) | Formatting of code units as unsigned integers

### Example

Run this code

    #include <array>
    #include <format>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <string_view>

    void raw_write_to_log(std::string_view users_fmt, std::format_args&& args)
    {
        static int n{};
        std::clog << std::format("{:04} : ", n++) << std::vformat(users_fmt, args) << '\n';
    }

    template<typename... Args>
    constexpr void log(Args&&... args)
    {
        // Generate formatting string "{} "...
        std::array<char, sizeof...(Args) * 3 + 1> braces{};
        constexpr const char c[4] = "{} ";
        for (auto i{0uz}; i != braces.size() - 1; ++i)
            braces[i] = c[i % 3];
        braces.back() = '\0';

        raw_write_to_log(std::string_view{braces.data()}, std::make_format_args(args...));
    }

    template<typename T>
    const T& unmove(T&& x)
    {
        return x;
    }

    int main()
    {
        log("Number", "of", "arguments", "is", "arbitrary.");
        log("Any type that meets the BasicFormatter requirements", "can be printed.");
        log("For example:", 1, 2.0, '3', "*42*");

        raw_write_to_log("{:02} │ {} │ {} │ {}",
                         std::make_format_args(unmove(1), unmove(2.0), unmove('3'), "4"));
    }

Output:

    0000 : Number of arguments is arbitrary.
    0001 : Any type that meets the BasicFormatter requirements can be printed.
    0002 : For example: 1 2.0 3 *42*
    0003 : 01 │ 2.0 │ 3 │ 4

### Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior
--- | --- | --- | ---
P2418R2 | C++20 | objects that are neither const-usable nor copyable (such as generator-like objects) are not formattable | allow formatting these objects
P2905R2 | C++20 | `make_format_args` accepted rvalue arguments by forwarding references | only takes lvalue references
P2909R4 | C++20 | char or wchar_t might be formatted as out-of-range unsigned integer values | code units are converted to the corresponding unsigned type before such formatting
LWG 3631 | C++20 | cv-qualified arguments were incorrectly handled after P2418R2 | handling corrected

### See also

basic_format_argsformat_argswformat_args (C++20)(C++20)(C++20) | class that provides access to all formatting arguments (class template)
vformat (C++20) | non-template variant of std::format using type-erased argument representation (function)
vformat_to (C++20) | non-template variant of std::format_to using type-erased argument representation (function template)

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