what is wrong with fprintf

why does not this function give the full text in fprintf:

function printem(a,b)

fprintf('the first number is %.lf and the second is %.lf\n',a,b)

end

what is displayed in matlab is

>> printem(3,5) the first number is>>

Answer 1

[Andrei Bobrov]

>> a=rand(4,1)
a =
      0.67874
      0.75774
      0.74313
      0.39223
>> b = randi(9,4,1)
b =
     6
     2
     7
     1
>> fprintf('the first number is %f and the second is %f\n',[a,b]')
the first number is 0.678735 and the second is 6.000000
the first number is 0.757740 and the second is 2.000000
the first number is 0.743132 and the second is 7.000000
the first number is 0.392227 and the second is 1.000000
>>

more

>> printem = @(a,b)fprintf('the first number is %.1f and the second is %.1f\n',[a,b]')
>> printem(3,5)
the first number is 3.0 and the second is 5.0
>>

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

You appear to have used %.lf (lower-case L) instead of %.1f (digit one)

Answer 3

[Harry MacDowel]

Try this

fprintf('the first number is %0.1f and the second is %0.1f\n',a,b)