Separate Format String for each index of Array to Spreadsheet String

[SteveP]

The ability to specify a Format String for each index in the Array to Spreadsheet String would let individually saved data columns have different numbers of digits of precision or significant digits.

I use the Array to Spreadsheet String to save 2D column data consisting of Time (X) and one or more Data (Y) columns.  Sometimes the columns have different inherent resolutions yet the Format String needs to be set to allow the largest number of digits for all columns.  This can result in :

0.0000000 -0.0000003
0.2500000 -0.0000035
0.5000000 -0.0000030
0.7500000 -0.0000020
1.0000000 -0.0000013

If a different Format String could be used for each index, then the result would be :

0.00 -0.0000003
0.25 -0.0000035
0.50 -0.0000030
0.75 -0.0000020
1.00 -0.0000013

If nothing else, it saves on file size.  The Array to Spreadsheet String function could check whether an array of Format Strings was wired into it or not to decide what to do (make it polymorphic).  Thus existing code could still be used.

[altenbach]

This is useful because it will save a lot of code. I've programmed around this in the past.

Of course the behavior needs to be defined for cases where the number of columns in the array does not match the number of elements in the format array. If the format array is longer, it would get truncated, but what should happen if the format array is too short? Should (A) the format be padded with the last format element in the array? Should (B) extra columns get the default format for the datatype?

I would probably prefer (A). For example, if we had a numeric DBL array of

1 11.11 22.11 33.11

2 11.22 22.22 33.22

3 11.33 22.33 33.33 

...

A format array with two elements [%d, %.2f] should be sufficient and equivalent to [%d, %.2f, %.2f, %.2f]

[silmaril]

What about (C): The longer of the arrays is truncated, the shorter array 'wins'?

This is exactly the behaviour of all other polymorphic primitives in LV.