Sticking HTML formatting into System.String object in C#

Question

How do I stick HTML formatting into a String object in C#?

Here's what I have:

c.DepartmentAbbr.ToString() + " - (" + c.DepartmentName.ToString() + ")"

where c.DepartmentAbbr.ToString() and c.DepartmentName.ToString() are both fields being selected from a data context using LINQ.

Here's what I essentially want:

"<b>" + c.DepartmentAbbr.ToString() + "</b> - (" + c.DepartmentName.ToString() + ")"

so that the first word shows up in bold. The above just shows the literal text with the bold tags and everything. I assume I will need to use String.Format but I can't quite find a good example that helps me know how to use it to do what I want.

Update

Here are a few more details that I didn't think were important but I think by now they must be.

Here is the control I'm using. ASPX code:

 <telerik:RadComboBox ID="rcbDepartments" runat="server" AppendDataBoundItems="True"
        AutoPostBack="true" NoWrap="true" Width="250px">
        <Items>
            <telerik:RadComboBoxItem Text="All Departments" Value="-1" />
        </Items>
    </telerik:RadComboBox>

And I'm adding items to this control using LINQ in C#:

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (!IsPostBack)
    {
        var abbr = from c in DB.Departments
                   where c.DepartmentAbbr != "BInst"
                   select c;

        foreach (var c in abbr)
        {
            String s = String.Format("{0} - ({1})", c.DepartmentAbbr, c.DepartmentName);
            rcbDepartments.Items.Add(new RadComboBoxItem(s, c.DepartmentID.ToString()));
        }
    }
}

The RadComboBoxItem object accepts either (), (String text), or (String text, String value), and I am using the latter.

Please show the ASP.NET control you are setting this to on the aspx page and the full code behind code. Like: <asp:TextBox runat="server" id="txtbox"></asp:TextBox> txtbox.Text = "my html string"; — CFK
– CFK, Commented Dec 23, 2009 at 4:20

joshcomley · Accepted Answer · 2009-12-22 23:49:27Z

9

String.Format("<b>{0}</b> - ({1})", c.DepartmentAbbr, c.DepartmentName)

Here is a great reference to string formatting in C#:

http://blog.stevex.net/string-formatting-in-csharp/

answered Dec 22, 2009 at 23:49

joshcomley

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1 Comment

sanpaco Over a year ago

I actually found that one while doing some research. It is a great reference indeed but doesn't answer my question.

cyberenergy · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-25 11:48:33Z

4

For anyone trying to do this in ASP.NET MVC...

This doesn't work:

<%=String.Format(resourceString, "<b>" & Model.UserName & "</b>")%>

The bold tags are HTML encoded, as you'd expect.

However, this works a treat:

<%=String.Format(resourceString, MvcHtmlString.Create("<b>" & Model.UserName & "</b>")%>

answered Apr 25, 2012 at 11:48

cyberenergy

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Comments

Dudi · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-22 09:37:24Z

2

MvcHtmlString s = MvcHtmlString.Create(String.Format("{0} - ({1})", c.DepartmentAbbr, c.DepartmentName));

I think you better change the String s to MvcHtmlString object.

answered Apr 22, 2015 at 9:37

Dudi

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1 Comment

sanpaco Over a year ago

Thanks for the response but this question was not related to MVC.

t0mm13b · Accepted Answer · 2024-05-04 10:04:48Z

I guess you are looking for a way to have the object c to spit out a HTML formatted string.

Take this as an example:

public class myExample : IFormattable{
   private string myExampleStr;
   public myExample(string sampleStr){
      this.myExampleStr = sampleStr;
   }

   /* Implement an Equals() function - OVERRIDE! */
   public override bool Equal(object obj){
      return true;
   }

   /* Implement an ToString() function - OVERRIDE */
   public override string ToString(){
      return this.myExampleStr;
   }

   /* Implement an GetHashCode() function - OVERRIDE */
   public override int GetHashCode(){
      return this.myExampleStr.GetHashCode();
   }

   /* Here we implement the IFormattable interface */
   public string ToString(string format) {
      return this.ToString(format, null);
   }
  
   public string ToString(IFormatProvider formatProvider) {
      return this.ToString(null, formatProvider);
   }

   public string ToString(string format, IFormatProvider formatProvider) {
      if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(format)) format = "G";
      if (formatProvider != null) {
         ICustomFormatter formatter = formatProvider.GetFormat(this.GetType()) as ICustomFormatter;
         if (formatter != null)
            return formatter.Format(format, this, formatProvider);
      }
      switch (format) {
         case "b": return string.Format("<b>{0}</b>", this.myExampleStr);
         case "i": return string.Format("<i>{0}</i>", this.myExampleStr);
         default: return this.myExampleStr;
      }
   }
}

And suppose we instantiated this class like this:

myExample example = new myExample("tomb");

And issue a simple ToString() call on the object to print out a HTML tag for bold as shown below

Console.WriteLine("{0}", example.ToString("b"));
// Output would be <b>tomb</b>

This example serves to illustrate how to use a custom parameter to the ToString() method so that you can use bold or italic HTML tags embedded, or any other way of formatting a value based on the parameter used for the ToString function of this class.

Does this answer your question?

I appreciate the answer but this seems to be just a bit more complicated way of doing what I've already tried using the String.Format method. The problem is that I'm using a RadComboBox control to add these to and I'm pretty sure by now that this control doesn't allow me to do HTML formatting on the objects as I enter them. the only option I have is to use an Item Template which I can not do in this case because of an entirely different problem I was already dealing with which caused me to switch to my current method.

Dave Markle · Accepted Answer · 2009-12-22 23:50:32Z

0

I think the problem is somewhere else. Are you putting this string in a Label control or a Literal control? If it's a Label, I believe it's escaping the text for you. Put it in an asp:Literal control instead. And btw, you don't need to call .ToString() so much. You can just use:

"<b>" + c.DepartmentAbbr + "</b> - (" + c.DepartmentName + ")"

and ToString() will essentially be called for you.

answered Dec 22, 2009 at 23:50

Dave Markle

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3 Comments

Serhat Ozgel Over a year ago

Did you try using asp:Literal or tried removing ToString() methods?

sanpaco Over a year ago

I tried removing the ToString() methods. I can't use an asp:Literal because I am already within a combobox control.

Dave Markle Over a year ago

That's your real problem then. You can not do what you are attempting inside a combo box. You will have to use another control entirely.

sanpaco · Accepted Answer · 2009-12-23 16:19:57Z

As I've researched more and more I've pretty much come to the conclusion that what I want to do is not possible. I'm using a RadComboBox to stick the items into, but I'm having to do some funcky stuff with LINQ on the server side such that I have to stick the items into the combo box using the Items.Add method which only accepts System.String. Thank you all for your help and comments but I think I'm just going to have to make do with what I have in this case.

Here are a few more details that I didn't think were important but I think by now they must be.

Here is the control I'm using. ASPX code:

And I'm adding items to this control using LINQ in C#: protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { if (!IsPostBack) { var abbr = from c in DB.Departments where c.DepartmentAbbr != "BInst" select c;

        foreach (var c in abbr)
        {
            String s = String.Format("{0} - ({1})", c.DepartmentAbbr, c.DepartmentName);
            rcbDepartments.Items.Add(new RadComboBoxItem(s, c.DepartmentID.ToString()));
        }
    }
}

The RadComboBoxItem object accepts either (), (String text), or (String text, String value), and I am using the latter. I am pretty sure by now that due to the restrictions on the RadComboBoxItem only accepting Strings that I can not do HTML formatting on the items without using the Item Template tags in ASPX. Unfortunately for my situation I can not do this because that was already causing some other problems for me which I why I'm doing what I am currently trying to do.

wows · Accepted Answer · 2009-12-22 23:47:00Z

-1

If you're outputting this on a webpage - try using the:

Server.HtmlEncode(string)
Server.HtmlDecode(string)

methods.

answered Dec 22, 2009 at 23:47

wows

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2 Comments

sanpaco Over a year ago

I actually just tried this. Unfortunately, all this really seems to do is change the '<' and '>' character to their entities "<" and >" and then displaying the string with these all showing.

thelem Over a year ago

This is dangerous advice. String.Format handles HTML escaping, which helps protect against xss (cross site scripting). If you're using String.Format, then you probably have a string that you trust that containing HTML, and a variable from the user that shouldn't contain HTML. String.Format makes sure that variable gets escaped, HtmlEncode/Decode on the whole string doesn't.

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