formatted output of a number and field width, where does the C++ standard say about it?
<p>This code snippet:</p>

<pre><code>//
// This is example code from Chapter 11.2.5 "Fields" of
// "Programming -- Principles and Practice Using C++" by Bjarne Stroustrup
//

#include &lt;iostream&gt;
#include &lt;iomanip&gt;

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    cout &lt;&lt; 123456                        // no field used
         &lt;&lt;'|'&lt;&lt; setw(4) &lt;&lt; 123456 &lt;&lt; '|' // 123456 doesn't fit in a 4 char field
         &lt;&lt; setw(8) &lt;&lt; 123456 &lt;&lt; '|'      // set field width to 8
         &lt;&lt; 123456 &lt;&lt; "|\n";              // field sizes don't stick
}
</code></pre>

<p>produces this output:</p>

<pre><code>123456|123456|  123456|123456|
</code></pre>

<p>The second print of <code>123456</code> is not truncated to fit in a field with width of 4 and Stroustrup explains that it is the right thing to do because a bad looking table with right numbers is better than a good looking table with wrong numbers.</p>

<p>where does the C++ standard say about this behaviour?</p>

<p>I found <code>ios_base::width</code> where the standard says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The minimum field width (number of characters) to generate on certain
  output conversions</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is "minimum" the keyword here to explain the said behaviour?</p>
