=item sprintf FORMAT, LIST
-Returns a string formatted by the usual C<printf> conventions of the
-C library function C<sprintf>. See L<sprintf(3)> or L<printf(3)>
-on your system for an explanation of the general principles.
+Returns a string formatted by the usual C<printf> conventions of the C
+library function C<sprintf>. See below for more details
+and see L<sprintf(3)> or L<printf(3)> on your system for an explanation of
+the general principles.
+
+For example:
+
+ # Format number with up to 8 leading zeroes
+ $result = sprintf("%08d", $number);
+
+ # Round number to 3 digits after decimal point
+ $rounded = sprintf("%.3f", $number);
Perl does its own C<sprintf> formatting--it emulates the C
function C<sprintf>, but it doesn't use it (except for floating-point