Format.NET

Format.NET is an easy to use, open source, library that enables advanced and smart object formatting in .NET projects. Extends the default String.Format(...) with property resolution, custom formatting and text alignment.

Features

Same behavior of String.Format(...) for simple object formatting

Format.ToString("{0} {1,-20} {2:dd/MM/yyyy}", person.Name, person.Surname, person.BirthDate);
---> "Riccardo Gregori             22/12/1983"

Property value resolution with dot notation

Format.ToString("{0.Name} {0.Surname,-20} {0.BirthDate:dd/MM/yyyy}", person);  
---> "Riccardo Gregori             22/12/1983"

Property chaining

Format.ToString("{0.Name} is son of {0.Father.Name}", person);
---> "Riccardo is son of Marco"

Format.ToString("{0.Name} is grandson of {0.Father.Father.Name}", person);
---> "Riccardo is grandson of Antonio"

Default object inference, with multiple-objects support

Format.ToString("{Name} {Surname,-20} {BirthDate:dd/MM/yyyy}", person);
---> "Riccardo Gregori             22/12/1983"
 
Format.ToString("{Name} {Surname} born the {BirthDate:dd/MM/yyyy} in {1.Name}", person, city);
---> "Riccardo Gregori born the 22/12/1983 in Pescara"

Culture support

Format.ToString( new CultureInfo( "it-IT"), "{0:dddd}", new DateTime( 2010, 12, 4 ) );
---> "sabato"

Extension method support

person.ToSmartString("{Name} {Surname} born the {BirthDate:dd/MM/yyyy} in {1.Name}", city);
---> "Riccardo Gregori born the 22/12/1983 in Pescara"

Formatter factory with fluent configuration

var formatter = Formatter.CreateFormatter()
    .UseFormatProvider( new CultureInfo( "it-IT") );
formatter.Format( "{0:dddd}", new DateTime( 2010, 12, 4 ) );
---> "sabato"

Default value for null properties support (only using fluent configuration)

var formatter = Formatter.CreateFormatter().DefaultIfNull( "[null] ");
formatter.Format( "{0}", null );
---> "[null]" 

Default constants

Format.ToString("FirstLine{@NewLine}SecondLine");
---> "FirstLine
SecondLine"

Format.ToString("{@Today:dd/MM/yyyy}");
---> "04/12/2010"

Format.ToString("{@Now:dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss}");
---> ";04/12/2010 13:38:17"

Wishlist...

Indexed properties

Format.ToString("{Children[0].Name}", person);
---> "Mario"

Iterators

var format = "{#each 0.Children as 1}{1.Name}, {#loop}"
Format.ToString(format, person);
---> "Mario, Giovanni, Antonio, "

Converters

var formatter = Formatter.CreateFormatter()
    .Transform<bool, BoolToYesNoConverter>();
Format.ToString("{0}/{1}", true, false);
---> "yes/no";

About me...

My blog: http://community.visual-basic.it/greg
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/_neronotte