In several places the Application Server allows to specify the format in which numeric values shall be displayed or parsed (e.g. in text templates) by providing a numeric format string and a culture. You can use standard numeric format strings or custom numeric format strings to specify the formatting of the numeric value.
Standard numeric format strings are used to format common numeric types. A standard numeric format string takes the form Axx, where:
•A is a single alphabetic character called the format specifier. 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.
•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. Note that the precision specifier controls the number of digits in the string representation of a number. It does not round the number itself.
Table 1 lists the available standard format strings.
You can create a custom numeric format string, which consists of one or more custom numeric specifiers, to define how to format numeric data. A custom numeric format string is any format string that is not a standard numeric format string.
Table 2 gives an overview on custom numeric format strings.
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 byNumberFormatInfo.CurrencyDecimalDigits. |
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. |
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. |
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 byNumberFormatInfo.NumberDecimalDigits. |
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. |
-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 byNumberFormatInfo.NumberDecimalDigits. |
1234.567 ("N", en-US) -> 1,234.57 1234.567 ("N", ru-RU) -> 1 234,57 1234 ("N1", en-US) -> 1,234.0 1234 ("N1", ru-RU) -> 1 234,0 -1234.56 ("N3", en-US) -> -1,234.560 -1234.56 ("N3", 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 NumberFormatInfo.PercentDecimalDigits. |
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. |
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. |
255 ("X") -> FF -1 ("x") -> ff 255 ("x4") -> 00ff -1 ("X4") -> 00FF |
Any other single character |
Unknown specifier |
Result: depending on the usage context |
|
Table 1: standard numeric format strings
Format specifier |
Name |
Description |
Examples |
"0" |
Zero placeholder |
Replaces the zero with the corresponding digit if one is present; otherwise, zero appears in the result string. |
1234.5678 ("00000") -> 01235 0.45678 ("0.00", en-US) -> 0.46 0.45678 ("0.00", fr-FR) -> 0,46 |
"#" |
Digit placeholder |
Replaces the "#" symbol with the corresponding digit if one is present; otherwise, no digit appears in the result string. |
1234.5678 ("#####") -> 1235 0.45678 ("#.##", en-US) -> .46 0.45678 ("#.##", fr-FR) -> ,46 |
"." |
Decimal point |
Determines the location of the decimal separator in the result string. |
0.45678 ("0.00", en-US) -> 0.46 0.45678 ("0.00", fr-FR) -> 0,46 |
"," |
Group separator and number scaling |
Serves as both a group separator and a number scaling specifier. As a group separator, it inserts a localized group separator character between each group. As a number scaling specifier, it divides a number by 1000 for each comma specified. |
Group separator specifier: 2147483647 ("##,#", en-US) -> 2,147,483,647 2147483647 ("##,#", es-ES) -> 2.147.483.647 Scaling specifier: 2147483647 ("#,#,,", en-US) -> 2,147 2147483647 ("#,#,,", es-ES) -> 2.147 |
"%" |
Percentage placeholder |
Multiplies a number by 100 and inserts a localized percentage symbol in the result string.. |
0.3697 ("%#0.00", en-US) -> %36.97 0.3697 ("%#0.00", el-GR) -> %36,97 0.3697 ("##.0 %", en-US) -> 37.0 % 0.3697 ("##.0 %", el-GR) -> 37,0 % |
"‰" |
Per mille placeholder |
Multiplies a number by 1000 and inserts a localized per mille symbol in the result string.
|
0.03697 ("#0.00‰", en-US) -> 36.97‰ 0.03697 ("#0.00‰", ru-RU) -> 36,97‰ |
"E0" "E+0" "E-0" "e0" "e+0" "e-0" |
Exponential notation |
If followed by at least one 0 (zero), formats the result using exponential notation. The case of "E" or "e" indicates the case of the exponent symbol in the result string. The number of zeros following the "E" or "e" character determines the minimum number of digits in the exponent. A plus sign (+) indicates that a sign character always precedes the exponent. A minus sign (-) indicates that a sign character precedes only negative exponents. |
987654 ("#0.0e0") -> 98.8e4 1503.92311 ("0.0##e+00") -> 1.504e+03 1.8901385E-16 ("0.0e+00") -> 1.9e-16 |
\ |
Escape character |
Causes the next character to be interpreted as a literal rather than as a custom format specifier. |
987654 ("\###00\#") -> #987654# |
'string' "string" |
Literal string delimiter |
Indicates that the enclosed characters should be copied to the result string unchanged. |
68 ("# ' degrees'") -> 68 degrees 68 ("#' degrees'") -> 68 degrees |
; |
Section separator |
Defines sections with separate format strings for positive, negative, and zero numbers. |
12.345 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#);-\0-") -> 12.35 0 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#);-\0-") -> -0- -12.345 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#);-\0-") -> (12.35) 12.345 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#)") -> 12.35 0 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#)") -> 0.0 -12.345 ("#0.0#;(#0.0#)") -> (12.35) |
Other |
All other characters |
The character is copied to the result string unchanged. |
Table 2: Custom numeric format strings
