B.1 Picture Format Specifiers

Table B-2 lists the valid picture format specifiers supported by the Format method on the predefined numeric types (see the documentation for System.IFormattable in the .NET SDK).

Table B-2. Picture Format Specifiers

Specifier	String result
	Zero placeholder
#	Digit placeholder
.	Decimal point
,	Group separator or multiplier
%	Percent notation
E+0, E-0 e+0, e-0	Exponent notation
\	Literal character quote
' xx'"xx "	Literal string quote
;	Section separator

This example uses picture-format specifiers on some int values:

 using System; class TestIntegerCustomFormats {   static void Main( ) {     int i = 123;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0}", i);             // 123     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0)}", i);        // 123     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0);<zero>}", i); // 123     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", i);             // 12300%     i = -123;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0}", i);             // -123     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0)}", i);        // (123)     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0);<zero>}", i); // (123)     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", i);             // -12300%     i = 0;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0}", i);             // 0     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0)}", i);        // 0     Console.WriteLine("{0:#0;(#0);<zero>}", i); // <zero>     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", i);             // %   } } 

The following example uses these picture format specifiers on a variety of double values:

 using System; class TestDoubleCustomFormats {   static void Main( ) {     double d = 1.23;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#.000E+00}", d);    // 1.230E+00     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00)}", d);        // 1.230E+00     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00);<zero>}", d); // 1.230E+00     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", d);           // 123%     d = -1.23;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#.000E+00}", d);    // -1.230E+00     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00)}", d);        // (1.230E+00)     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00);<zero>}", d); // (1.230E+00)     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", d);          // -123%     d = 0;     Console.WriteLine("{0:#.000E+00}", d);    // 0.000E-01     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00)}", d);        // 0.000E-01     Console.WriteLine(       "{0:#.000E+00;(#.000E+00);<zero>}", d); // <zero>     Console.WriteLine("{0:#%}", d);           // %   } }