Need a custom currency format to use with String.Format

Question

I'm trying to use String.Format("{0:c}", somevalue) in C# but am having a hard time figuring out how to configure the output to meet my needs. Here are my needs:

1. 0 outputs to blank
2. 1.00 outputs to $1.00
3. 10.00 outputs to $10.00
4. 100.00 outputs to $100.00
5. 1000.00 outputs to $1,000.00

I've tried String.Format("{0:c}", somevalue) but for zero values it outputs $0.00 which is not what I want. I've also tried String.Format("{0:$0,0.00;$(0,0.00);#}", somevalue), but for 1.0 it outputs $01.00. String.Format("{0:$0.00;$(0.00);#}", somevalue) works for most cases, but when somevalue is 1000.00 the output is $1000.00.

Is there some format that will fit all 5 cases above? All of the documentation I've read only details the basics and doesn't touch on this type of scenario.

Kastner

if(money > 0) output text; – Bachelorism

Answer 1

If you use

string.Format("{0:$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);''}", value)

You will get "" for the zero value and the other values should be formatted properly too.

Pompea

This is what I've been looking for. I'm doing this formatting in a Repeater and wanted something that was simple and concise. – Kastner

Andrew's response worked too and if I were doing this in codebehind I would have gone with his solution and not even try to figure out the String.Format. But I was looking for the elegant solution. Not that anyone could have read my mind on that one. :) – Kastner

+1 from me.. excellent.. could you please explain me in bit detail about how this works.. – Bran

When value is a number, the string format {0:A;B;C} checks if the value is positive, negative or zero. If it is positive, then A is used, negative uses B and zero uses C as the format. – Pompea

This solution ignores the current culture / number settings. Is it possible to format numbers using the relevant culture settings (System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture.NumberFormat) BUT blank for zeroes? – Dionisio

Answer 2

Try something like this:

String currency = (number == 0) ? String.Empty : number.ToString("c");

Oration

Answer 3

Depending on if you are consistently using the same data type for all of your currency values, you could write an extension method that would make it so that your case is always met. For example if you were using the decimal type:

public static string ToCurrencyString (this decimal value)
{
  if (value == 0)
    return String.Empty;
  return value.ToString ("C");
}

Locoism

Answer 4

Here's a great reference that you might find useful, which summarises this data: http://blog.stevex.net/string-formatting-in-csharp/

Scruff

Answer 5

The "C" currency formats are great until you need a blank for 0. Here are two ways, one mentioned above, similar to the ones that I use that give you the blank for 0:

// one way
string.Format("{0:$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);''}", somevalue)

// another way
somevalue.ToString("$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00);''")

The second technique feels more "fluent", if you like that style of code (as I do).

Banket