I'm trying to format some string dynamically with available variables in a specific context/scope.
This strings would have parts with things like {{parameter1}}, {{parameter2}} and these variables would exist in the scope where I'll try to reformat the string. The variable names should match.
I looked for something like a dynamically string interpolation approach, or how to use FormattableStringFactory, but I found nothing that really gives me what I need.
var parameter1 = DateTime.Now.ToString(); var parameter2 = "Hello world!"; var retrievedString = "{{parameter2}} Today we're {{parameter1}}"; var result = MagicMethod(retrievedString, parameter1, parameter2); // or, var result = MagicMethod(retrievedString, new { parameter1, parameter2 }); Is there an existing solution or should I (in MagicMethod) replace these parts in the retrievedString with matching members of the anonymous object given as parameter (using reflection or something like that)?
EDIT:
Finally, I created an extension method to handle this:
internal static string SpecialFormat(this string input, object parameters) { var type = parameters.GetType(); System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex regex = new System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex( "\\{(.*?)\\}" ); var sb = new System.Text.StringBuilder(); var pos = 0; foreach (System.Text.RegularExpressions.Match toReplace in regex.Matches( input )) { var capture = toReplace.Groups[ 0 ]; var paramName = toReplace.Groups[ toReplace.Groups.Count - 1 ].Value; var property = type.GetProperty( paramName ); if (property == null) continue; sb.Append( input.Substring( pos, capture.Index - pos) ); sb.Append( property.GetValue( parameters, null ) ); pos = capture.Index + capture.Length; } if (input.Length > pos + 1) sb.Append( input.Substring( pos ) ); return sb.ToString(); } and I call it like this:
var parameter1 = DateTime.Now.ToString(); var parameter2 = "Hello world!"; var retrievedString = "{parameter2} Today we're {parameter1}"; var result = retrievedString.SpecialFormat( new { parameter1, parameter2 } ); Now, I don't use double braces anymore.
