String Formatting (Like in VB)

[jmanion]

Hello,

I have a problem, I'm hoping someone can help.

I have a string, lets say: "111111"; // Not always numeric
I have a format mask, lets say: "(00) 0000"; // Again, not always
numeric.

The mask and the value are passed into a method.

private string GiveMeTheFormattedString(string i_Value, string i_Mask)
{

}

I want the output of this method to be: "(11) 1111"

Remember, I can't assume that my input string or my mask will be
numeric and the mask will be different.

Help.

I've tried this:

string retVal = String.Format("{0:" + iMask + "}", i_Value);

No luck, it always comes back as the original input.

I even tried the above hard coding the format mask in, i.e. ("{000)
0000}",i_Value);

still no luck.

Thanks for the help, in advance.

John

 

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

What is the function in VB that you use to do this? More than likely,
it exists in the Microsoft.VisualBasic namespace. You can add a reference
to Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll and use the method that you know will work
(rather than write your own).

Hope this helps.

 

[jmanion]

In VB, I'd use the Format function.

As I bring code forward from the VB6 world, I'm supposed to work under
the Mantra:

VB = Bad;
VC# = Good.



So, if I can do it, I'd like to not use the VB namespace.

John

 

[jmanion]

In VB, I'd use the Format function.

As I bring code forward from the VB6 world, I'm supposed to work under
the Mantra:

VB = Bad;
VC# = Good.



So, if I can do it, I'd like to not use the VB namespace.

John

 

[Michael D. Ober]

Bad mantra, especially if you don't have a C++ background. VB 2005 is just
as expressive as VC#. Yes, there are some differences between the
languages, but they are functionally 99+% identical and both are fully
supported by MS.

Mike Ober.

 

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

See inline.

Willy.

| Hello,
|
| I have a problem, I'm hoping someone can help.
|
| I have a string, lets say: "111111"; // Not always numeric
| I have a format mask, lets say: "(00) 0000"; // Again, not always
| numeric.
|

Not sure what you mean with one/both not always being numeric.
But here is how you can format a string.

Here suppose the Mask is ("(000) 0000") and the string something like
"1234567" or " 123.2356" or " +1.234567 " ...


private string GiveMeTheFormattedString(string i_Value, string i_Mask)
{
double dv;
if(Double.TryParse(i_Value, NumberStyles.Number,null, out dv))
return dv.ToString(i_Maks);
else return null;
}

If this doesn't suits your needs you will have to implement your own
IFormatProvider.



| The mask and the value are passed into a method.
|
| private string GiveMeTheFormattedString(string i_Value, string i_Mask)
| {
|
| }
|
| I want the output of this method to be: "(11) 1111"
|
| Remember, I can't assume that my input string or my mask will be
| numeric and the mask will be different.
|
| Help.
|
| I've tried this:
|
| string retVal = String.Format("{0:" + iMask + "}", i_Value);
|
| No luck, it always comes back as the original input.
|
| I even tried the above hard coding the format mask in, i.e. ("{000)
| 0000}",i_Value);
|
| still no luck.
|
| Thanks for the help, in advance.
|
| John
|

 

[Larry Lard]

Hello,

I have a problem, I'm hoping someone can help.

I have a string, lets say: "111111"; // Not always numeric
I have a format mask, lets say: "(00) 0000"; // Again, not always
numeric.

The mask and the value are passed into a method.

private string GiveMeTheFormattedString(string i_Value, string i_Mask)
{

}

I want the output of this method to be: "(11) 1111"

Remember, I can't assume that my input string or my mask will be
numeric and the mask will be different.

OK, so what do you want the output to be in these cases:

input: abcdef
mask: (00) 0000

input: -3.14592536
mask: (0) 0-0 (0)

input: 1A2B3C
mask: 00abcdef

?

IF your input is an integer and you want to use a custom numeric format
string, cast to an integer and use ToString():

string formatted = 111111.ToString("(00) 0000");
// now formatted == "(11) 1111"

To be able to say how to produce results in other cases, we would need
to know what you want to see in those other cases.