Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

scanf
     
        The {C} library routine that reads data from the {standard
        input} {stream} {stdin} into the locations given by each entry
        in its argument list.  The first argument is a format string
        which controls interpretation of the input and each subsequent
        argument points to a variable with a type that corresponds to
        a type specifier in the format-string.
     
        {Unix manual page}: scanf(3).
     
        (1995-02-23)