Greg, educate me a bit; what other language stores format with data types? John Warner
> -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion of advanced .NET topics. [mailto:ADVANCED- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg Rothlander > Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 8:50 PM > To: ADVANCED-DOTNET@DISCUSS.DEVELOP.COM > Subject: Re: [ADVANCED-DOTNET] Can you extend the datatypes in VB.Net > > Exactly. That is what it is in .Net, but not in other languages. In other > languages you store the format within the data type. So I'm just trying to > figure out good way to keep track of the format as well. > > I can keep track of the format in a little array. Then look up the format > when the variable is about to be displayed. It seems that using extensions > in 3.5 might handle this for me. But now I have to figure out how to look > it up within an array. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion of advanced .NET topics. > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Phil > Sayers > Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 12:19 AM > To: ADVANCED-DOTNET@DISCUSS.DEVELOP.COM > Subject: Re: [ADVANCED-DOTNET] Can you extend the datatypes in VB.Net > > I think the idea is that formatting is a "function of display" not a > "function of value storage". > > You can use hook up common Format & Parse event handlers to your bindings > on > a per-datatype basis so you get common display styles for each datatype. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion of advanced .NET topics. > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Greg Rothlander > Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 12:02 AM > To: ADVANCED-DOTNET@DISCUSS.DEVELOP.COM > Subject: [ADVANCED-DOTNET] Can you extend the datatypes in VB.Net > > The data types in .Net do not have a format string with them. Is it > possible to extend the data types to add a format string? I thought I came > across an example of this back a few years ago, but I do not recall. It may > have been an example of how to create your own types. > > Can anyone think of a way to extend the data types? For example, let's say > that I want an Integer with a length of 5 and a format string of "00000". > Is there a way to do that? The same might do for a date. I might want to > set the format to "MMDDYYYY", but I would like to carry that within the data > type. > > Why? Because I have to set the format string on thousands of lines through > the program. If I was able to store it on the data type itself, I wouldn't > have to do this. If I could extend the data type I might be able to do > something like: > > Dim X as Integer = 123 > x.FormatString = "00000" > Dim str as string = X.ToString() > > str would equal "00123" > > I'm just tired of adding the format to EVERY line of code that needs the > length formatted to a 5 digits. What I have to do now is for every line of > code were X is used, I have to do something like: > > whateverstring = Format(X, "00000") > > I would rather just do something like: > > whateverstring = X.ToString() or maybe just whateverstring = X > > It seems like there would be some way to do this. It is very common in > other languages to have the format on the data type. Dates a very common > thing to run into like this. It would be nice to have the format of the > date already set by default. > > It would also be nice to have an integer with a length that doesn't change. > For example, lets say that I pull something from a database with a field > length of 5 and it has a value of 123. If I ask it the length, it will say > 3. But I need to know that the real length is 5. Why? Because the program > wants to store 00123 in the db column and not 123. The 00 is important for > the application. > > Any thoughts? Am I missing something simple here and trying to work around > something that should not be worked around? I do have some limitations > because the db needs the 00123 stored and with really mess up some of the > other programs that use the DB if I did store 123 in that field. Why? > Other applications written in other languages also use the DB and the DB is > not SQL Server. > > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > > Best regards, > Jon > > =================================== > This list is hosted by DevelopMentor. http://www.develop.com > > View archives and manage your subscription(s) at http://discuss.develop.com > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.0/1601 - Release Date: 8/8/2008 > 9:02 AM > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.0/1601 - Release Date: 8/8/2008 > 9:02 AM > > =================================== > This list is hosted by DevelopMentorR http://www.develop.com > > View archives and manage your subscription(s) at http://discuss.develop.com > > =================================== > This list is hosted by DevelopMentor. http://www.develop.com > > View archives and manage your subscription(s) at http://discuss.develop.com =================================== This list is hosted by DevelopMentor® http://www.develop.com View archives and manage your subscription(s) at http://discuss.develop.com
