Custom Numeric Format Strings 

A custom numeric format string, which you create and consists of one or more custom numeric format specifiers, defines how numeric data is formatted. A custom numeric format string is equivalently defined as any string that is not a standard numeric format string.

The following table describes the custom numeric format specifiers. For examples of the output produced by each format specifier, see Custom Numeric Format Strings Output Examples. For more information, see the notes that follow the table.

Notes

Floating-Point Infinities and NaN

Note that 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 specified by the currently applicable NumberFormatInfo object.

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, and the current thread culture provides values used to govern formatting. Computers using different settings will generate different result strings.

Rounding and Fixed-Point Format Strings

Note that for fixed-point format strings (that is, format strings that do not contain scientific notation format characters), numbers are rounded to as many decimal places as there are digit placeholders to the right of the decimal point. If the format string does not contain a decimal point, the number is rounded to the nearest integer. If the number has more digits than there are digit placeholders to the left of the decimal point, the extra digits are copied to the result string immediately before the first digit placeholder.

Section Separators and Conditional Formatting

Different formatting can be applied to a string based on whether the value is positive, negative, or zero. To produce this behavior, a custom format string can contain up to three sections separated by semicolons. These sections are described in the following table.

Section separators ignore any preexisting formatting associated with a number when the final value is formatted. For example, negative values are always displayed without a minus sign when section separators are used. If you want the final formatted value to have a minus sign, you should explicitly include the minus sign as part of the custom format specifier.

The following code fragments illustrate how section separators can be used to produce formatted strings.

Dim MyPos As Double = 19.95
Dim MyNeg As Double = -19.95
Dim MyZero As Double = 0

' In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: $19.95.
Dim MyString As String = MyPos.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero")

' In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: ($19.95).
' The minus sign is omitted by default.
MyString = MyNeg.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero")

' In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: Zero.
MyString = MyZero.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero")

double MyPos = 19.95, MyNeg = -19.95, MyZero = 0.0;

// In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: $19.95.
string MyString = MyPos.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero");

// In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: ($19.95).
// The minus sign is omitted by default.
MyString = MyNeg.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero");

// In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: Zero.
MyString = MyZero.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);Zero");

Two Custom Format Examples

The following code fragments demonstrate custom numeric formatting. In both cases the digit placeholder (#) in the custom format string displays the numeric data, and all other characters are copied to the output.

Dim myDouble As Double = 1234567890
Dim myString As String = myDouble.ToString( "(###) ### - ####" )
' The value of myString is "(123) 456 – 7890".

Dim MyInt As Integer = 42
MyString = MyInt.ToString( "My Number = #" )
' In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: 
' "My Number = 42".

Double myDouble = 1234567890;
String myString = myDouble.ToString( "(###) ### - ####" );
// The value of myString is "(123) 456 – 7890".

int  MyInt = 42;
MyString = MyInt.ToString( "My Number = #" );
// In the U.S. English culture, MyString has the value: 
// "My Number = 42".

See Also

Reference

NumberFormatInfo

Concepts

Numeric Format Strings
Custom Numeric Format Strings Output Examples
Standard Numeric Format Strings

Other Resources

Formatting Types