Format specifiers

Format specifiers are used to state a desired format when formatting object values.

In ERP.net, they can be used as a second parameter for the calculated attribute operator FORMATSTRING or in the formatting string (‘:FormatSpecifier’) when referencing domain attributes in the SENDMAIL action (‘{DomainAttribute:FormatSpecifier}’).

There are two main types of format specifiers:

• standard .Net format specifiers (Numeric, Date - Time, etc.)
• custom format specifiers (Multilanguge string, Custom property)

Standard .Net format specifiers

The list below contains the most frequently used .Net format specifiers.

For a complete list and more information, please look at the official .Net documentation site here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/base-types/standard-numeric-format-strings#standard-format-specifiers

Numeric format specifiers

• 'C', 'c' - abbreviation for Currency.

Converts a number to a string that represents a currency amount. Can be used with a precision specifier that indicates the desired number of digits after the decimal point. The decimal symbol separator and the currency symbol depend on the local regional settings.

Returns:

123.4656 ('C') → $123.46

123.4656 ('C3') → $123.466

• 'D', 'd' - abbreviation for Decimal.

Converts a number to a string of decimal digits (0-9), prefixed by a minus sign if the number is negative. Can be used with a precision specifier that indicates the desired number of digits after the decimal point. This format is supported only for integral types.

Returns:

1234 ('D') → 1234

1234 ('D6') → -001234

• 'N', 'n' - abbreviation for Number.

Converts a number to a string. Can be used with a precision specifier that indicates the desired number of digits after the decimal point. The decimal symbol separator depends on the local regional settings.

Returns:

123.4656 (N) → 123.47

123.4656 (N3) → 123.466

• 'P', 'p' - abbreviation for Percent.

Multiplies a number by 100 and converts it to a string representing a percentage. The precision specifier shows the desired number of decimal places. The decimal symbol separator depends on the regional settings.

Returns:

0.488869 (P) → 48.89%

0.488869 (P3) → 48.887%

Date and time format strings

In order to define the text representation of a date and time value, standard date-and-time format specifiers can be used alone, as standard date-and-time format string, or in combination, as custom format string.

A standard date-and-time format string uses a single format specifier. Any date and time format string that contains more than one character, including white space, is interpreted as a custom format string.

Standard date and time format strings:

• 'D', 'd' - Short date pattern.

The returned format depends on the pattern set for Short date in the local regional settings.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 10.5.2019

• 'D' - Long date pattern.

The returned format depends on the pattern set for Long date in the local regional settings.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 10 May 2019

• 'f' - Full date/time pattern (short time).

The returned format depends on the pattern set for Long date and Short time in the local regional settings.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 10 May 2019 5:18

• 'F' - Full date/time pattern (long time).

The returned format depends on the pattern set for Long date and Short time in the local regional settings.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 10 May 2019 5:18:39

• 'M', 'm' - Month/day pattern.

The returned format depends on the current culture set in the local regional settings.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → May 10

• 'u' - Universal sortable date/time pattern.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 2019-05-10 15:18:39Z

• 'U' - Universal full date/time pattern.

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 10 May 2019 5:18:39

• 'O' - Round-trip date/time pattern. ISO8601

Returns:

2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 → 2019-05-10T15:18:39.00000013Z

Custom format strings

• 'd' - The day of the month, from 1 through 31.
• 'M' - The month, from 1 through 12.
• 'y' - The year, from 0 to 99.
• 'h' - The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 1 to 12.
• 'H' - The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 00 to 23.
• 'm' - The minute, from 0 through 59.
• 's' - The second, from 0 through 59.
• 'f' - The tenths of a second in a date and time value.
• '%' - Defines the following character as a custom
• '/' - Тhe current's culture date seperator.
• '' - The escape character.
• 'string', 'string' - Literal string delimiter.

Examples

• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd MM yyyy hh:mm:ss.fff')→ 10 05 2019 03:18:39.013
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('yyyy MM dd hh:mm:ss.fff')→ 2019 05 10 03:18:39.013
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd M yyyy hh:mm:ss.fff')→ 10 5 2019 03:18
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd MMM yyyy hh:mm')→ 10 May 2019 03:18
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd/MM/yyyy hh:mm')→ 10.05.2019 03:18
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd/MM/yyyy hh:mm')→ 10/05/2019 03:18
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 (dd-MM-yyyy hh:mm)→ 10-05-2019 03:18
• 2019-05-10 15:18:39.013 ('dd MM yyyy hh:mm 'h'')→ 10 05 2019 03:18 h

Custom format specifiers

There are also custom format specifiers created specifically for ERP.net.

They're different for the different data types and are described below.

Multilanguge string

• 'C', 'CURRENT', 'G' - returns the string of the current value.

• 'D', 'DUMP', 'CONTENTS' - returns the content of the multilanguage string in the format:

EN='<english-string>' DE='<german-string>'

• 'T', 'TRANSLITERATED' - returns transliteration to the current language.

• 'A', 'ANY' - returns any language string, that has a value. Checks the current string first, but if it is empty, returns any string or null.

• format specifiers for a particular language - return the translation of a specified language.

If there's no transliteration set for that language, they return an empty string.

Note

Format specifiers for a particular language are supported since ERP.net version 2019.1.

Language format specifiers

'EN' - English
'BG' - Bulgarian
'CS' - Czech
'FR' - French
'DE' - German
'EL' - Greek
'HU' - Hungarian
'IT' - Italian
'MK' - Macedonian
'PL' - Polish
'PT' - Portuguese
'RO' - Romanian
'RU' - Russian
'SR' - Serbian
'ES' - Spanish

Custom property

• 'VD' - abbreviation for Value/Description.

Returns:

<Value>: <Description>

• 'V' - abbreviation for Value.

Returns:

<Value>

• 'VDI' - abbreviation for Value/Description/Id.

Returns:

<Value>: <Description> (<Value-Id>)

• 'D' - abbreviation for Description.

Returns:

<Description>

• Language specifier as <_Lang> suffix - Custom property value also support language specifier for the multilanguage Description. The language can be specified at the end of the format specifier like FORMAT_LANGUAGE. For example: VD_EN, VDI_EN, D_EN where _EN specifies that the english translation of the Description will be returned.

Quantity and Amount

The following custom format specifiers are supported for quantity and amount values.

Quantity

Supported formats are:

• Q – The default format: {Value:#,##0.000} {Unit}
  Returns:
  12.3456 ('Q') → 12.346 kg

• UV – Unit first, then value: {Unit} {Value:#,##0.000}
  Returns:
  12.3456 ('UV') → kg 12.346

• VU – Value first, then unit: {Value:#,##0.000} {Unit}
  Returns:
  12.3456 ('VU') → 12.346 kg

• V – Value only: {Value:#,##0.000}
  Returns:
  12.3456 ('V') → 12.346

• Any number format – Applies the specified number format to the value only: {Value:format}
  Returns:
  12.3456 ('N1') → 12.3

Amount

Supported formats are:

• A – The default format: {Currency} {Value:#,##0.00}
  Returns:
  1234.5 USD ('A') → USD 1,234.50

• CV – Currency first: {Currency} {Value:N2}
  Returns:
  1234.5 USD ('CV') → USD 1,234.50

• VC – Value first: {Value:N2} {Currency}
  Returns:
  1234.5 USD ('VC') → 1,234.50 USD

• V – Value only: {Value:N2}
  Returns:
  1234.5 ('V') → 1,234.50

• Any number format – Applies the specified number format to the value only: {Value:format}
  Returns:
  1234.5 ('C') → $1,234.50