minIntDigits

MinIntDigits is a term used in numeric formatting to denote the minimum number of digits that should appear in the integer part of a formatted number. When the integer portion has fewer digits than this minimum, leading zeros are added to reach the specified width. If the integer part has more digits, all digits are shown, and no truncation occurs. The setting applies to the integer portion only and does not affect the fractional part or the sign.

In practice, minIntDigits is exposed by formatting libraries as a property on a formatter or via a formatting pattern. For example, in Java the DecimalFormat class provides a way to set the minimum number of integer digits, typically via a method such as setMinimumIntegerDigits(int minDigits). Patterns may also express required padding with zero placeholders, where a pattern like "000" ensures at least three digits for the integer portion.

Examples illustrating the behavior with minIntDigits set to 3: the number 5 formats as 005, and -8 formats as -008, while 123 remains 123. If the value has more than three digits (e.g., 12345), the full number is displayed as 12345. The sign is not counted as a digit, and padding applies to the magnitude of the integer part.

Notes and variants: different libraries may use different names for the concept, such as minimumIntegerDigits or minIntegerDigits. This concept is distinct from controls on the minimum fractional digits, which affect digits to the right of the decimal point. See also: maximumIntegerDigits, DecimalFormat, NumberFormat.