Standard Numeric Format Strings
Standard numeric format strings are used to format common numeric types. A standard numeric format string takes the form Axx, where A is an alphabetic character called the format specifier, and xx is an optional integer called the precision specifier. The precision specifier ranges from 0 to 99 and affects the number of digits in the result. Any numeric format string that contains more than one alphabetic character, including white space, is interpreted as a custom numeric format string. For more information, see Custom Numeric Format Strings.
Standard numeric format strings are supported by some overloads of the ToString method of all numeric types. For example, you can supply a numeric format string to the ToString(String) and ToString(String, IFormatProvider) methods of the Int32 type. Standard numeric format strings are also supported by the .NET Framework composite formatting feature, which is used by some Write and WriteLine methods of the Console and StreamWriter classes, the String.Format method, and the StringBuilder.AppendFormat method.
The following table describes the standard numeric format specifiers and displays sample output produced by each format specifier. See the Notes section for additional information about using standard numeric format strings, and the Example section for a comprehensive illustration of their use.
Format specifier |
Name |
Description |
Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
"C" or "c" |
Currency |
Result: A currency value. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Number of decimal digits. Default precision specifier: Defined by System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo. More information: The Currency ("C") Format Specifier. |
123.456 ("C", en-US) -> $123.46 123.456 ("C", fr-FR) -> 123,46 € 123.456 ("C", ja-JP) -> ¥123 -123.456 ("C3", en-US) -> ($123.456) -123.456 ("C3", fr-FR) -> -123,456 € -123.456 ("C3", ja-JP) -> -¥123.456 |
"D" or "d" |
Decimal |
Result: Integer digits with optional negative sign. Supported by: Integral types only. Precision specifier: Minimum number of digits. Default precision specifier: Minimum number of digits required. More information: The Decimal("D") Format Specifier. |
1234 ("D") -> 1234 -1234 ("D6") -> -001234 |
"E" or "e" |
Exponential (scientific) |
Result: Exponential notation. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Number of decimal digits. Default precision specifier: 6. More information: The Exponential ("E") Format Specifier. |
1052.0329112756 ("E", en-US) -> 1.052033E+003 1052.0329112756 ("e", fr-FR) -> 1,052033e+003 -1052.0329112756 ("e2", en-US) -> -1.05e+003 -1052.0329112756 ("E2", fr_FR) -> -1,05E+003 |
"F" or "f" |
Fixed-point |
Result: Integral and decimal digits with optional negative sign. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Number of decimal digits. Default precision specifier: Defined by System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo. More information: The Fixed-Point ("F") Format Specifier. |
1234.567 ("F", en-US) -> 1234.57 1234.567 ("F", de-DE) -> 1234,57 1234 ("F1", en-US) -> 1234.0 1234 ("F1", de-DE) -> 1234,0 -1234.56 ("F4", en-US) -> -1234.5600 -1234.56 ("F4", de-DE) -> -1234,5600 |
"G" or "g" |
General |
Result: The most compact of either fixed-point or scientific notation. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Number of significant digits. Default precision specifier: Depends on numeric type. More information: The General ("G") Format Specifier. |
-123.456 ("G", en-US) -> -123.456 123.456 ("G", sv-SE) -> -123,456 123.4546 ("G4", en-US) -> 123.5 123.4546 ("G4", sv-SE) -> 123,5 -1.234567890e-25 ("G", en-US) -> -1.23456789E-25 -1.234567890e-25 ("G", sv-SE) -> -1,23456789E-25 |
"N" or "n" |
Number |
Result: Integral and decimal digits, group separators, and a decimal separator with optional negative sign. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Desired number of decimal places. Default precision specifier: Defined by System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo. More information: The Numeric ("N") Format Specifier. |
1234.567 ("N", en-US) -> 1,234.57 1234.567 ("N", ru-RU) -> 1 234,57 1234 ("N", en-US) -> 1,234.0 1234 ("N", ru-RU) -> 1 234,0 -1234.56 ("N", en-US) -> -1,234.560 -1234.56 ("N", ru-RU) -> -1 234,560 |
"P" or "p" |
Percent |
Result: Number multiplied by 100 and displayed with a percent symbol. Supported by: All numeric types. Precision specifier: Desired number of decimal places. Default precision specifier: Defined by System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo. More information: The Percent ("P") Format Specifier. |
1 ("P", en-US) -> 100.00 % 1 ("P", fr-FR) -> 100,00 % -0.39678 ("P1", en-US) -> -39.7 % -0.39678 ("P1", fr-FR) -> -39,7 % |
"R" or "r" |
Round-trip |
Result: A string that can round-trip to an identical number. Supported by: Single and Double. Precision specifier: Ignored. More information: The Round-trip ("R") Format Specifier. |
123456789.12345678 ("R") -> 123456789.12345678 -1234567890.12345678 ("R") -> -1234567890.1234567 |
"X" or "x" |
Hexadecimal |
Result: A hexadecimal string. Supported by: Integral types only. Precision specifier: Number of digits in the result string. More information: The HexaDecimal ("X") Format Specifier. |
255 ("X") -> FF -1 ("x") -> ff 255 ("x4") -> 00ff -1 ("X4") -> 00FF |
Any other single character |
Unknown specifier |
Result: Throws a FormatException at run time. |
Using Standard Numeric Format Strings
A standard numeric format string can be used to define the formatting of a numeric value in one of two ways:
It can be passed to an overload of the ToString method that has a format parameter. The following example formats a numeric value as a currency string in the current (in this case, the en-US) culture.
Dim value As Decimal = 123.456d Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C2")) ' Displays $123.46decimal value = 123.456m; Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C2")); // Displays $123.46It can be supplied as the formatString parameter in a format item used with such methods as String.Format, Console.WriteLine, and StringBuilder.AppendFormat. For more information, see Composite Formatting. The following example uses a format item to insert a currency value in a string.
Dim value As Decimal = 123.456d Console.WriteLine("Your account balance is {0:C2}.", value) ' Displays "Your account balance is $123.46."decimal value = 123.456m; Console.WriteLine("Your account balance is {0:C2}.", value); // Displays "Your account balance is $123.46."
The following sections provide detailed information about each of the standard numeric format strings.
The Currency ("C") Format Specifier
The "C" (or currency) format specifier converts a number to a string that represents a currency amount. The precision specifier indicates the desired number of decimal places in the result string. If the precision specifier is omitted, the default precision is defined by the NumberFormatInfo.CurrencyDecimalDigits property.
If the value to be formatted has more than the specified or default number of decimal places, the fractional value is rounded in the result string. If the digit to the right of the number of specified decimal places is 5 or greater, the last digit in the result string is rounded away from zero.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the returned string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the placement of the currency symbol for positive values. |
|
Defines the placement of the currency symbol for negative values, and specifies whether the negative sign is represented by parentheses or the NegativeSign property. |
|
Defines the negative sign used if CurrencyNegativePattern indicates that parentheses are not used. |
|
Defines the currency symbol. |
|
Defines the default number of decimal digits in a currency value. This value can be overridden by using the precision specifier. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral and decimal digits. |
|
Defines the string that separates groups of integral numbers. |
|
Defines the number of integer digits that appear in a group. |
The following example formats a Double value with the currency format specifier.
Dim value As Double = 12345.6789
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture))
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C3", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture))
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C3", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("da-DK")))
' The example displays the following output on a system whose
' current culture is English (United States):
' $12,345.68
' $12,345.679
' kr 12.345,679
double value = 12345.6789;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture));
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C3", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture));
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("C3",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("da-DK")));
// The example displays the following output on a system whose
// current culture is English (United States):
// $12,345.68
// $12,345.679
// kr 12.345,679
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The Decimal ("D") Format Specifier
The "D" (or decimal) format specifier converts a number to a string of decimal digits (0-9), prefixed by a minus sign if the number is negative. This format is supported only for integral types.
The precision specifier indicates the minimum number of digits desired in the resulting string. If required, the number is padded with zeros to its left to produce the number of digits given by the precision specifier. If no precision specifier is specified, the default is the minimum value required to represent the integer without leading zeros.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. As the following table shows, a single property affects the formatting of the result string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
The following example formats an Int32 value with the decimal format specifier.
Dim value As Integer
value = 12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D"))
' Displays 12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D8"))
' Displays 00012345
value = -12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D"))
' Displays -12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D8"))
' Displays -00012345
int value;
value = 12345;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D"));
// Displays 12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D8"));
// Displays 00012345
value = -12345;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D"));
// Displays -12345
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("D8"));
// Displays -00012345
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The Exponential ("E") Format Specifier
The exponential ("E") format specifier converts a number to a string of the form "-d.ddd…E+ddd" or "-d.ddd…e+ddd", where each "d" indicates a digit (0-9). The string starts with a minus sign if the number is negative. Exactly one digit always precedes the decimal point.
The precision specifier indicates the desired number of digits after the decimal point. If the precision specifier is omitted, a default of six digits after the decimal point is used.
The case of the format specifier indicates whether to prefix the exponent with an "E" or an "e". The exponent always consists of a plus or minus sign and a minimum of three digits. The exponent is padded with zeros to meet this minimum, if required.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the returned string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative for both the coefficient and exponent. |
|
Defines the string that separates the integral digit from decimal digits in the coefficient. |
|
Defines the string that indicates that an exponent is positive. |
The following example formats a Double value with the exponential format specifier.
Dim value As Double = 12345.6789
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 1.234568E+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E10", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 1.2345678900E+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("e4", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 1.2346e+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")))
' Displays 1,234568E+004
double value = 12345.6789;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 1.234568E+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E10", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 1.2345678900E+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("e4", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 1.2346e+004
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("E",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")));
// Displays 1,234568E+004
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The Fixed-Point ("F") Format Specifier
The fixed-point ("F) format specifier converts a number to a string of the form "-ddd.ddd…" where each "d" indicates a digit (0-9). The string starts with a minus sign if the number is negative.
The precision specifier indicates the desired number of decimal places. If the precision specifier is omitted, the current NumberFormatInfo.NumberDecimalDigits property supplies the numeric precision.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the properties of the NumberFormatInfo object that control the formatting of the result string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral digits from decimal digits. |
|
Defines the default number of decimal digits. This value can be overridden by using the precision specifier. |
The following example formats a Double and an Int32 value with the fixed-point format specifier.
Dim integerNumber As Integer
integerNumber = 17843
Console.WriteLine(integerNumber.ToString("F", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 17843.00
integerNumber = -29541
Console.WriteLine(integerNumber.ToString("F3", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays -29541.000
Dim doubleNumber As Double
doubleNumber = 18934.1879
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 18934.19
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F0", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 18934
doubleNumber = -1898300.1987
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays -1898300.2
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F3", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("es-ES")))
' Displays -1898300,199
int integerNumber;
integerNumber = 17843;
Console.WriteLine(integerNumber.ToString("F",
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 17843.00
integerNumber = -29541;
Console.WriteLine(integerNumber.ToString("F3",
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays -29541.000
double doubleNumber;
doubleNumber = 18934.1879;
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 18934.19
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F0", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 18934
doubleNumber = -1898300.1987;
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays -1898300.2
Console.WriteLine(doubleNumber.ToString("F3",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("es-ES")));
// Displays -1898300,199
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The General ("G") Format Specifier
The general ("G") format specifier converts a number to the most compact of either fixed-point or scientific notation, depending on the type of the number and whether a precision specifier is present. The precision specifier defines the maximum number of significant digits that can appear in the result string. If the precision specifier is omitted or zero, the type of the number determines the default precision, as indicated in the following table.
Numeric type |
Default precision |
|---|---|
3 digits |
|
5 digits |
|
10 digits |
|
19 digits |
|
20 digits |
|
7 digits |
|
15 digits |
|
29 digits |
Fixed-point notation is used if the exponent that would result from expressing the number in scientific notation is greater than -5 and less than the precision specifier; otherwise, scientific notation is used. The result contains a decimal point if required, and trailing zeros after the decimal point are omitted. If the precision specifier is present and the number of significant digits in the result exceeds the specified precision, the excess trailing digits are removed by rounding.
However, if the number is a Decimal and the precision specifier is omitted, fixed-point notation is always used and trailing zeros are preserved.
If scientific notation is used, the exponent in the result is prefixed with "E" if the format specifier is "G", or "e" if the format specifier is "g". The exponent contains a minimum of two digits. This differs from the format for scientific notation that is produced by the exponential format specifier, which includes a minimum of three digits in the exponent.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the result string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral digits from decimal digits. |
|
Defines the string that indicates that an exponent is positive. |
The following example formats assorted floating-point values with the general format specifier.
Dim number As Double
number = 12345.6789
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 12345.6789
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")))
' Displays 12345,6789
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G7", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 12345.68
number = .0000023
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 2.3E-06
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")))
' Displays 2,3E-06
number = .0023
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 0.0023
number = 1234
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G2", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 1.2E+03
number = Math.Pi
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G5", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 3.1416
double number;
number = 12345.6789;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 12345.6789
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")));
// Displays 12345,6789
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G7", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 12345.68
number = .0000023;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 2.3E-06
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")));
// Displays 2,3E-06
number = .0023;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 0.0023
number = 1234;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G2", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 1.2E+03
number = Math.PI;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("G5", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 3.1416
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The Numeric ("N") Format Specifier
The numeric ("N") format specifier converts a number to a string of the form "-d,ddd,ddd.ddd…", where "-" indicates a negative number symbol if required, "d" indicates a digit (0-9), "," indicates a group separator, and "." indicates a decimal point symbol. The precision specifier indicates the desired number of digits after the decimal point. If the precision specifier is omitted, the number of decimal places is defined by the current NumberFormatInfo.NumberDecimalDigits property.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the result string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
|
Defines the format of negative values, and specifies whether the negative sign is represented by parentheses or the NegativeSign property. |
|
Defines the number of integral digits that appear between group separators. |
|
Defines the string that separates groups of integral numbers. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral and decimal digits. |
|
Defines the default number of decimal digits. This value can be overridden by using a precision specifier. |
The following example formats assorted floating-point values with the number format specifier.
Dim dblValue As Double = -12445.6789
Console.WriteLine(dblValue.ToString("N", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays -12,445.68
Console.WriteLine(dblValue.ToString("N1", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("sv-SE")))
' Displays -12 445,7
Dim intValue As Integer = 123456789
Console.WriteLine(intValue.ToString("N1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 123,456,789.0
double dblValue = -12445.6789;
Console.WriteLine(dblValue.ToString("N", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays -12,445.68
Console.WriteLine(dblValue.ToString("N1",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("sv-SE")));
// Displays -12 445,7
int intValue = 123456789;
Console.WriteLine(intValue.ToString("N1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 123,456,789.0
Back to table
The Percent ("P") Format Specifier
The percent ("P") format specifier multiplies a number by 100 and converts it to a string that represents a percentage. The precision specifier indicates the desired number of decimal places. If the precision specifier is omitted, the default numeric precision supplied by the current PercentDecimalDigits property is used.
The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the returned string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the placement of the percent symbol for positive values. |
|
Defines the placement of the percent symbol and the negative symbol for negative values. |
|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
|
Defines the percent symbol. |
|
Defines the default number of decimal digits in a percentage value. This value can be overridden by using the precision specifier. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral and decimal digits. |
|
Defines the string that separates groups of integral numbers. |
|
Defines the number of integer digits that appear in a group. |
The following example formats floating-point values with the percent format specifier.
Dim number As Double = .2468013
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 24.68 %
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("hr-HR")))
' Displays 24,68%
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))
' Displays 24.7 %
double number = .2468013;
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 24.68 %
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("hr-HR")));
// Displays 24,68%
Console.WriteLine(number.ToString("P1", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
// Displays 24.7 %
Back to table
The Round-trip ("R") Format Specifier
The round-trip ("R") format specifier guarantees that a numeric value that is converted to a string will be parsed back into the same numeric value. This format is supported only for the Single and Double types.
When a Single or Double value is formatted using this specifier, it is first tested using the general format, with 15 digits of precision for a Double and 7 digits of precision for a Single. If the value is successfully parsed back to the same numeric value, it is formatted using the general format specifier. If the value is not successfully parsed back to the same numeric value, it is formatted using 17 digits of precision for a Double and 9 digits of precision for a Single.
Although you can include a precision specifier, it is ignored. Round trips are given precedence over precision when using this specifier.
The result string is affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object. The following table lists the NumberFormatInfo properties that control the formatting of the result string.
NumberFormatInfo property |
Description |
|---|---|
Defines the string that indicates that a number is negative. |
|
Defines the string that separates integral digits from decimal digits. |
|
Defines the string that indicates that an exponent is positive. |
The following example formats Double values with the round-trip format specifier.
Dim value As Double
value = Math.Pi
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r"))
' Displays 3.1415926535897931
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r", _
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")))
' Displays 3,1415926535897931
value = 1.623e-21
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r"))
' Displays 1.623E-21
double value;
value = Math.PI;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r"));
// Displays 3.1415926535897931
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r",
CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("fr-FR")));
// Displays 3,1415926535897931
value = 1.623e-21;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("r"));
// Displays 1.623E-21
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The Hexadecimal ("X") Format Specifier
The hexadecimal ("X") format specifier converts a number to a string of hexadecimal digits. The case of the format specifier indicates whether to use uppercase or lowercase characters for hexadecimal digits that are greater than 9. For example, use "X" to produce "ABCDEF", and "x" to produce "abcdef". This format is supported only for integral types.
The precision specifier indicates the minimum number of digits desired in the resulting string. If required, the number is padded with zeros to its left to produce the number of digits given by the precision specifier.
The result string is not affected by the formatting information of the current NumberFormatInfo object.
The following example formats Int32 values with the hexadecimal format specifier.
Dim value As Integer
value = &h2045e
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("x"))
' Displays 2045e
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X"))
' Displays 2045E
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X8"))
' Displays 0002045E
value = 123456789
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X"))
' Displays 75BCD15
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X2"))
' Displays 75BCD15
int value;
value = 0x2045e;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("x"));
// Displays 2045e
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X"));
// Displays 2045E
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X8"));
// Displays 0002045E
value = 123456789;
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X"));
// Displays 75BCD15
Console.WriteLine(value.ToString("X2"));
// Displays 75BCD15
Back to table
Notes
Control Panel Settings
The settings in the Regional and Language Options item in Control Panel influence the result string produced by a formatting operation. Those settings are used to initialize the NumberFormatInfo object associated with the current thread culture, which provides values used to govern formatting. Computers that use different settings generate different result strings.
In addition, if the CultureInfo.CultureInfo(String) constructor is used to instantiate a new CultureInfo object that represents the same culture as the current system culture, any customizations established by the Regional and Language Options item in Control Panel will be applied to the new CultureInfo object. You can use the CultureInfo.CultureInfo(String, Boolean) constructor to create a CultureInfo object that does not reflect a system's customizations.
NumberFormatInfo Properties
Formatting is influenced by the properties of the current NumberFormatInfo object, which is provided implicitly by the current thread culture or explicitly by the IFormatProvider parameter of the method that invokes formatting. Specify a NumberFormatInfo or CultureInfo object for that parameter.
Integral and Floating-Point Numeric Types
Some descriptions of standard numeric format specifiers refer to integral or floating-point numeric types. The integral numeric types are Byte, SByte, Int16, Int32, Int64, UInt16, UInt32, and UInt64. The floating-point numeric types are Decimal, Single, and Double.
Floating-Point Infinities and NaN
Regardless of the format string, if the value of a Single or Double floating-point type is positive infinity, negative infinity, or not a number (NaN), the formatted string is the value of the respective PositiveInfinitySymbol, NegativeInfinitySymbol, or NaNSymbol property that is specified by the currently applicable NumberFormatInfo object.
Example
The following example formats an integral and a floating-point numeric value using the en-US culture and all the standard numeric format specifiers. This example uses two particular numeric types (Double and Int32), but would yield similar results for any of the other numeric base types (Byte, SByte, Int16, Int32, Int64, UInt16, UInt32, UInt64, Decimal, and Single).
Option Strict On
Imports System.Globalization
Imports System.Threading
Module NumericFormats
Public Sub Main()
' Display string representations of numbers for en-us culture
Dim ci As New CultureInfo("en-us")
' Output floating point values
Dim floating As Double = 10761.937554
Console.WriteLine("C: {0}", _
floating.ToString("C", ci)) ' Displays "C: $10,761.94"
Console.WriteLine("E: {0}", _
floating.ToString("E03", ci)) ' Displays "E: 1.076E+004"
Console.WriteLine("F: {0}", _
floating.ToString("F04", ci)) ' Displays "F: 10761.9376"
Console.WriteLine("G: {0}", _
floating.ToString("G", ci)) ' Displays "G: 10761.937554"
Console.WriteLine("N: {0}", _
floating.ToString("N03", ci)) ' Displays "N: 10,761.938"
Console.WriteLine("P: {0}", _
(floating/10000).ToString("P02", ci)) ' Displays "P: 107.62 %"
Console.WriteLine("R: {0}", _
floating.ToString("R", ci)) ' Displays "R: 10761.937554"
Console.WriteLine()
' Output integral values
Dim integral As Integer = 8395
Console.WriteLine("C: {0}", _
integral.ToString("C", ci)) ' Displays "C: $8,395.00"
Console.WriteLine("D: {0}", _
integral.ToString("D6")) ' Displays D: 008395""
Console.WriteLine("E: {0}", _
integral.ToString("E03", ci)) ' Displays "E: 8.395E+003"
Console.WriteLine("F: {0}", _
integral.ToString("F01", ci)) ' Displays "F: 8395.0"
Console.WriteLine("G: {0}", _
integral.ToString("G", ci)) ' Displays "G: 8395"
Console.WriteLine("N: {0}", _
integral.ToString("N01", ci)) ' Displays "N: 8,395.0"
Console.WriteLine("P: {0}", _
(integral/10000).ToString("P02", ci)) ' Displays "P: 83.95 %"
Console.WriteLine("X: 0x{0}", _
integral.ToString("X", ci)) ' Displays "X: 0x20CB"
Console.WriteLine()
End Sub
End Module
using System;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Threading;
public class NumericFormats
{
public static void Main()
{
// Display string representations of numbers for en-us culture
CultureInfo ci = new CultureInfo("en-us");
// Output floating point values
double floating = 10761.937554;
Console.WriteLine("C: {0}",
floating.ToString("C", ci)); // Displays "C: $10,761.94"
Console.WriteLine("E: {0}",
floating.ToString("E03", ci)); // Displays "E: 1.076E+004"
Console.WriteLine("F: {0}",
floating.ToString("F04", ci)); // Displays "F: 10761.9376"
Console.WriteLine("G: {0}",
floating.ToString("G", ci)); // Displays "G: 10761.937554"
Console.WriteLine("N: {0}",
floating.ToString("N03", ci)); // Displays "N: 10,761.938"
Console.WriteLine("P: {0}",
(floating/10000).ToString("P02", ci)); // Displays "P: 107.62 %"
Console.WriteLine("R: {0}",
floating.ToString("R", ci)); // Displays "R: 10761.937554"
Console.WriteLine();
// Output integral values
int integral = 8395;
Console.WriteLine("C: {0}",
integral.ToString("C", ci)); // Displays "C: $8,395.00"
Console.WriteLine("D: {0}",
integral.ToString("D6", ci)); // Displays D: 008395""
Console.WriteLine("E: {0}",
integral.ToString("E03", ci)); // Displays "E: 8.395E+003"
Console.WriteLine("F: {0}",
integral.ToString("F01", ci)); // Displays "F: 8395.0"
Console.WriteLine("G: {0}",
integral.ToString("G", ci)); // Displays "G: 8395"
Console.WriteLine("N: {0}",
integral.ToString("N01", ci)); // Displays "N: 8,395.0"
Console.WriteLine("P: {0}",
(integral/10000.0).ToString("P02", ci)); // Displays "P: 83.95 %"
Console.WriteLine("X: 0x{0}",
integral.ToString("X", ci)); // Displays "X: 0x20CB"
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
See Also
Tasks
How to: Pad a Number with Leading Zeros
Concepts
Reference
Change History
Date |
History |
Reason |
|---|---|---|
August 2010 |
Noted that rounding away from zero is used with the "C" standard format string. |
Customer feedback. |
October 2009 |
Expanded the introductory section. |
Customer feedback. |
July 2009 |
Revised extensively. |
Information enhancement. |
April 2009 |
Added a discussion of how standard numeric format strings are used. |
Customer feedback. |