Use of String.Format in JavaScript?

Adapt the code from MsAjax string.

Just remove all of the _validateParams code and you are most of the way to a full fledged .NET string class in JavaScript.

Okay, I liberated the msajax string class, removing all the msajax dependencies. It Works great, just like the .NET string class, including trim functions, endsWith/startsWith, etc.

P.S. - I left all of the Visual Studio JavaScript IntelliSense helpers and XmlDocs in place. They are innocuous if you don't use Visual Studio, but you can remove them if you like.

<script src="script/string.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
    var a = String.format("Hello {0}!", "world");
    alert(a);

</script>

String.js

// String.js - liberated from MicrosoftAjax.js on 03/28/10 by Sky Sanders
// permalink: http://stackoverflow.com/a/2534834/2343

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    A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
    FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
    LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
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(function(window) {

    $type = String;
    $type.__typeName = 'String';
    $type.__class = true;

    $prototype = $type.prototype;
    $prototype.endsWith = function String$endsWith(suffix) {
        /// <summary>Determines whether the end of this instance matches the specified string.</summary>
        /// <param name="suffix" type="String">A string to compare to.</param>
        /// <returns type="Boolean">true if suffix matches the end of this instance; otherwise, false.</returns>
        return (this.substr(this.length - suffix.length) === suffix);
    }

    $prototype.startsWith = function String$startsWith(prefix) {
        /// <summary >Determines whether the beginning of this instance matches the specified string.</summary>
        /// <param name="prefix" type="String">The String to compare.</param>
        /// <returns type="Boolean">true if prefix matches the beginning of this string; otherwise, false.</returns>
        return (this.substr(0, prefix.length) === prefix);
    }

    $prototype.trim = function String$trim() {
        /// <summary >Removes all leading and trailing white-space characters from the current String object.</summary>
        /// <returns type="String">The string that remains after all white-space characters are removed from the start and end of the current String object.</returns>
        return this.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g, '');
    }

    $prototype.trimEnd = function String$trimEnd() {
        /// <summary >Removes all trailing white spaces from the current String object.</summary>
        /// <returns type="String">The string that remains after all white-space characters are removed from the end of the current String object.</returns>
        return this.replace(/\s+$/, '');
    }

    $prototype.trimStart = function String$trimStart() {
        /// <summary >Removes all leading white spaces from the current String object.</summary>
        /// <returns type="String">The string that remains after all white-space characters are removed from the start of the current String object.</returns>
        return this.replace(/^\s+/, '');
    }

    $type.format = function String$format(format, args) {
        /// <summary>Replaces the format items in a specified String with the text equivalents of the values of   corresponding object instances. The invariant culture will be used to format dates and numbers.</summary>
        /// <param name="format" type="String">A format string.</param>
        /// <param name="args" parameterArray="true" mayBeNull="true">The objects to format.</param>
        /// <returns type="String">A copy of format in which the format items have been replaced by the   string equivalent of the corresponding instances of object arguments.</returns>
        return String._toFormattedString(false, arguments);
    }

    $type._toFormattedString = function String$_toFormattedString(useLocale, args) {
        var result = '';
        var format = args[0];

        for (var i = 0; ; ) {
            // Find the next opening or closing brace
            var open = format.indexOf('{', i);
            var close = format.indexOf('}', i);
            if ((open < 0) && (close < 0)) {
                // Not found: copy the end of the string and break
                result += format.slice(i);
                break;
            }
            if ((close > 0) && ((close < open) || (open < 0))) {

                if (format.charAt(close + 1) !== '}') {
                    throw new Error('format stringFormatBraceMismatch');
                }

                result += format.slice(i, close + 1);
                i = close + 2;
                continue;
            }

            // Copy the string before the brace
            result += format.slice(i, open);
            i = open + 1;

            // Check for double braces (which display as one and are not arguments)
            if (format.charAt(i) === '{') {
                result += '{';
                i++;
                continue;
            }

            if (close < 0) throw new Error('format stringFormatBraceMismatch');


            // Find the closing brace

            // Get the string between the braces, and split it around the ':' (if any)
            var brace = format.substring(i, close);
            var colonIndex = brace.indexOf(':');
            var argNumber = parseInt((colonIndex < 0) ? brace : brace.substring(0, colonIndex), 10) + 1;

            if (isNaN(argNumber)) throw new Error('format stringFormatInvalid');

            var argFormat = (colonIndex < 0) ? '' : brace.substring(colonIndex + 1);

            var arg = args[argNumber];
            if (typeof (arg) === "undefined" || arg === null) {
                arg = '';
            }

            // If it has a toFormattedString method, call it.  Otherwise, call toString()
            if (arg.toFormattedString) {
                result += arg.toFormattedString(argFormat);
            }
            else if (useLocale && arg.localeFormat) {
                result += arg.localeFormat(argFormat);
            }
            else if (arg.format) {
                result += arg.format(argFormat);
            }
            else
                result += arg.toString();

            i = close + 1;
        }

        return result;
    }

})(window);

Here is what I use. I have this function defined in a utility file:

  String.format = function() {
      var s = arguments[0];
      for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length - 1; i++) {       
          var reg = new RegExp("\\{" + i + "\\}", "gm");             
          s = s.replace(reg, arguments[i + 1]);
      }
      return s;
  }

And I call it like so:

var greeting = String.format("Hi, {0}", name);

I do not recall where I found this, but it has been very useful to me. I like it because the syntax is the same as the C# version.

You can do series of replaces like that:

function format(str)
{
    for(i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++)
    {
        str = str.replace('{' + (i - 1) + '}', arguments[i]);
    }
    return str;
}

Better approach will be to use replace with function parameter:

function format(str, obj) {
    return str.replace(/\{\s*([^}\s]+)\s*\}/g, function(m, p1, offset, string) {
        return obj[p1]
    })
}

This way you can provide both indices and named parameters:

var arr = ['0000', '1111', '2222']

arr.a = 'aaaa'

str = format(" { 0 } , {1}, { 2}, {a}", arr)
// returns 0000 , 1111, 2222, aaaa

Without a third party function:

string format = "Hi {0}".replace('{0}', name)

With multiple params:

string format = "Hi {0} {1}".replace('{0}', name).replace('{1}', lastname)

Here is a useful string formatting function using regular expressions and captures:

function format (fmtstr) {
  var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1);
  return fmtstr.replace(/\{(\d+)\}/g, function (match, index) {
    return args[index];
  });
}

Strings can be formatted like C# String.Format:

var str = format('{0}, {1}!', 'Hello', 'world');
console.log(str); // prints "Hello, world!"

the format will place the correct variable in the correct spot, even if they appear out of order:

var str = format('{1}, {0}!', 'Hello', 'world');
console.log(str); // prints "world, Hello!"

Hope this helps!