What are the available format strings for the ToString() method in C#?

Question

_{Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:16 AM}

Suppose:

int a = 59;

string strA = a.ToString("X");

This will return the hexadecimal number equivalent to 50. It will return "3B". And I use this way to convert an int to a hexadecimal number. Here "X" is a format string. So there may be format strings that can be used to convert 59 into a binary number, or octal etc. What are they? If there are no such format strings for converting to binary or octal, then what are the other format strings and what does they do?

All replies (5)

_{Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:38 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

Hi ddlyprogrammer,

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, Double, and BigInteger. 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.

Here are the reference links

Int32.ToString Method (String)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8wch442y.aspx

Standard Numeric Format Strings

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dwhawy9k.aspx

If a post answers your question, please click Mark As Answer on that post and Mark as Helpful. Happy Coding...

_{Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:21 AM | 1 vote}

Refer the Following URL

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dwhawy9k.aspx

and you can use the following

            string binValue = Convert.ToString(6, 2);
            int intValue = Convert.ToInt32("110", 2);

            Console.WriteLine("bin: " + binValue.ToString());
            Console.WriteLine("int: " + intValue.ToString());

            string OctValue = Convert.ToString(36, 8);
            intValue = Convert.ToInt32("44", 8);

            Console.WriteLine("Oct: " + OctValue.ToString());
            Console.WriteLine("int: " + intValue.ToString());
            Console.Read();

Surender Singh Bhadauria

My Blog

_{Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:21 AM | 1 vote}

Hi,

check out:

Standard Numeric FormatStrings: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dwhawy9k.aspx

Custom Numeric Format Strings: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/0c899ak8.aspx

Hannes

If you have got questions about this, just ask.

In a perfect world,
users would never enter data in the wrong form,
files they choose to open would always exist
and code would never have bugs.

C# to VB.NET: http://www.developerfusion.com/tools/convert/csharp-to-vb/

_{Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:24 AM | 1 vote}