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fmtlib/fmt

Analysis updated 2026-06-21

23,472C++Audience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

{fmt} is a modern C++ library for formatting and printing text with a clean Python-like syntax, faster than printf and safer than iostreams, with compile-time error checking in C++20.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      C++ text formatting
      Faster than printf
      Compile-time safety
    Features
      Python-like syntax
      Date and time support
      Terminal color output
    Compatibility
      C++20 std format
      Linux macOS Windows
      No dependencies
    Audience
      C++ developers
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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Replace printf or cout in a C++ logging system with faster, type-safe formatted output using curly-brace placeholders.

USE CASE 2

Format dates, terminal colors, and collections like vectors using a single consistent API across platforms.

USE CASE 3

Port legacy printf-based code to type-safe output that catches format errors at compile time in C++20.

What is it built with?

C++

How does it compare?

fmtlib/fmtssloy/tinyrendererchromium/chromium
Stars23,47223,50523,604
LanguageC++C++C++
Setup difficultyeasyeasyhard
Complexity2/53/55/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial projects, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

{fmt} is a modern C++ library for formatting and printing text. The problem it solves is that C++'s built-in ways to format output, printf from the C standard library, and iostreams (the cout style), are either unsafe, slow, or awkward to use. Printf uses format strings like "%d" and "%s" that the compiler can't check, so a mismatch between the format and the actual value causes crashes or wrong output. Iostreams are type-safe but verbose and slow. {fmt} gives you a cleaner syntax similar to Python's string formatting, where you write placeholders in curly braces: fmt::format("The answer is {}.", 42) produces "The answer is 42." The library catches format errors at compile time in C++20, so mistakes are caught before the program even runs. It also handles dates and times, colored terminal output, printing collections like lists and vectors, and writing to files. Benchmarks show it is faster than both printf and standard C++ streams. You would use {fmt} in any C++ project where you need to produce formatted strings or output, logging, building strings for display or serialization, or replacing slow printf calls. It has no external dependencies, works across platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows), and is licensed under the MIT license. It also implements the C++20 standard std::format interface, making code written with it forward-compatible with the standard library.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to replace this C++ printf call with fmt::format, and explain what happens if the argument type doesn't match the format string: printf("%d items remaining", remainingCount),
Prompt 2
Using {fmt}, write a C++ function that formats a log line with a timestamp, log level, and message, outputting colored text to the terminal on Linux.
Prompt 3
I'm migrating a C++ codebase from printf to {fmt}. What are the most common patterns I'll need to change and what does each look like in {fmt} syntax?
Prompt 4
Show me how to use fmt::print to write formatted output to a file in C++, and explain how it differs from writing to stdout.

Frequently asked questions

What is fmt?

{fmt} is a modern C++ library for formatting and printing text with a clean Python-like syntax, faster than printf and safer than iostreams, with compile-time error checking in C++20.

What language is fmt written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++.

What license does fmt use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial projects, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is fmt to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is fmt for?

Mainly developer.

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