When no value for placeholder is found in array, a default empty value is used if not otherwise specified.
Example:
$sprintfString = "This is %{what}! %{what}? This is %{place}!";
$assocArray = array(
'what' => 'madness',
'place' => 'Sparta'
);
Result:
'This is madness! madness? This is Sparta!'