Выравнивание

Необязательный компонент alignment — это целое число со знаком, которое служит для указания желательной ширины поля форматирования. Если значение alignment меньше длины форматируемой строки, то alignment пропускается, и в качестве значения ширины поля используется длина форматируемой строки. Форматируемые данные выравниваются в поле по правому краю, если alignment имеет положительное значение, или по левому краю, если alignment имеет отрицательное значение. При необходимости отформатированная строка дополняется пробелами. При использовании компонента alignment необходимо поставить запятую.

Format String Component

The optional formatString component is a format string that is appropriate for the type of object being formatted. Specify a numeric format string if the corresponding object is a numeric value, a date and time format string if the corresponding object is a DateTime object, or an enumeration format string if the corrersponding object is an enumeration value. If formatString is not specified, the general ("G") format specifier for a numeric, date and time, or enumeration type is used. The colon is required if formatString is specified.

Escaping Braces

Opening and closing braces are interpreted as starting and ending a format item. Consequently, you must use an escape sequence to display a literal opening brace or closing brace. Specify two opening braces ("{{") in the fixed text to display one opening brace ("{"), or two closing braces ("}}") to display one closing brace ("}"). Braces in a format item are interpreted sequentially in the order they are encountered. Interpreting nested braces is not supported.

The way escaped braces are interpreted can lead to unexpected results. For example, consider the format item "{{{0:D}}}", which is intended to display an opening brace, a numeric value formatted as a decimal number, and a closing brace. However, the format item is actually interpreted in the following manner:

1. The first two opening braces ("{{") are escaped and yield one opening brace.

2. The next three characters ("{0:") are interpreted as the start of a format item.

3. The next character ("D") would be interpreted as the Decimal standard numeric format specifier, but the next two escaped braces ("}}") yield a single brace. Because the resulting string ("D}") is not a standard numeric format specifier, the resulting string is interpreted as a custom format string that means display the literal string "D}".

4. The last brace ("}") is interpreted as the end of the format item.

5. The final result that is displayed is the literal string, "{D}". The numeric value that was to be formatted is not displayed.

One way to write your code to avoid misinterpreting escaped braces and format items is to format the braces and format item separately. That is, in the first format operation display a literal opening brace, in the next operation display the result of the format item, then in the final operation display a literal closing brace.