file_ptr A pointer to the file that provides input text. format_spec A pointer to a character string that contains the format specification. . . . Optional expressions whose results correspond to conversion specifications given in the format specification. If no conversion specifications are given, you can omit the input pointers. Otherwise, the function calls must have exactly as many input pointers as there are conversion specifications, and the conversion specifications must match the types of the input pointers. Conversion specifications are matched to input sources in left- to-right order. Excess input pointers, if any, are ignored.