# PetscViewerGetFormat
Gets the current format for `PetscViewer`. 
## Synopsis
```
#include "petscsys.h" 
PetscErrorCode PetscViewerGetFormat(PetscViewer viewer, PetscViewerFormat *format)
```
Not collective


## Input Parameter

- ***viewer -*** the `PetscViewer`



## Output Parameter

- ***format -*** the format





## Notes
Available formats include

- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_DEFAULT` -*** default format
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_MATLAB` -*** MATLAB format
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_DENSE` -*** print matrix as dense
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_IMPL` -*** implementation-specific format
(which is in many cases the same as the default)
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_INFO` -*** basic information about object
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_INFO_DETAIL` -*** more detailed info
about object
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_COMMON` -*** identical output format for
all objects of a particular type
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_INDEX` -*** (for vectors) prints the vector
element number next to each vector entry
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_SYMMODU` -*** print parallel vectors without
indicating the processor ranges
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_ASCII_VTK` -*** outputs the object to a VTK file (deprecated since v3.14)
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_NATIVE` -*** store the object to the binary
file in its native format (for example, dense
matrices are stored as dense), DMDA vectors are dumped directly to the
file instead of being first put in the natural ordering
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_DRAW_BASIC` -*** views the vector with a simple 1d plot
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_DRAW_LG` -*** views the vector with a line graph
- ***`PETSC_VIEWER_DRAW_CONTOUR` -*** views the vector with a contour plot


These formats are most often used for viewing matrices and vectors.

If a format (for example `PETSC_VIEWER_DRAW_CONTOUR`) was applied to a viewer
where it didn't apply (`PETSC_VIEWER_STDOUT_WORLD`) it cause the default behavior
for that viewer to be used.


## See Also
 [](sec_viewers), `PetscViewer`, `PetscViewerSetFormat()`, `PetscViewerASCIIOpen()`, `PetscViewerBinaryOpen()`, `MatView()`, `VecView()`, `PetscViewerType`,
`PetscViewerPushFormat()`, `PetscViewerPopFormat()`, `PetscViewerDrawOpen()`, `PetscViewerSocketOpen()`

## Level
intermediate

## Location
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/sys/classes/viewer/interface/viewa.c.html#PetscViewerGetFormat">src/sys/classes/viewer/interface/viewa.c</A>


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[Edit on GitLab](https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc/-/edit/release/src/sys/classes/viewer/interface/viewa.c)


[Index of all Viewer routines](index.md)  
[Table of Contents for all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/index.md)  
[Index of all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/singleindex.md)  
