Formatting a C# string with identical spacing in between values
You can use advanced features of string.Format
:
string.Format("{0,-10}{1,-10}{2}", ...)
You can do the same thing by writing str.PadRight(10)
If you know the maximum lengths of each column then do the following:
String result = String.Format("{0} {1} {2}", strCol1.PadRight(10), strCol2.PadRight(9), strCol3.PadRight(9));
To make life easier, utility methods:
Usage
var data = new[] {
new[] { "ID", "NAME", "DESCRIPTION" },
new[] { "1", "Frank Foo", "lorem ipsum sic dolor" },
new[] { "2", "Brandon Bar", "amet forthrightly" },
new[] { "3", "B. Baz", "Yeehah!" }
};
var tabbedData = EvenColumns(20, data);
var tabbedData2 = string.Join("\n", EvenColumns(20, false, data)); // alternate line separator, alignment
Results
ID NAME DESCRIPTION
1 Frank Foo lorem ipsum sic dolor
2 Brandon Bar amet forthrightly
3 B. Baz Yeehah!
ID NAME DESCRIPTION
1 Frank Foolorem ipsum sic dolor
2 Brandon Bar amet forthrightly
3 B. Baz Yeehah!
Code
public string EvenColumns(int desiredWidth, IEnumerable<IEnumerable<string>> lists) {
return string.Join(Environment.NewLine, EvenColumns(desiredWidth, true, lists));
}
public IEnumerable<string> EvenColumns(int desiredWidth, bool rightOrLeft, IEnumerable<IEnumerable<string>> lists) {
return lists.Select(o => EvenColumns(desiredWidth, rightOrLeft, o.ToArray()));
}
public string EvenColumns(int desiredWidth, bool rightOrLeftAlignment, string[] list, bool fitToItems = false) {
// right alignment needs "-X" 'width' vs left alignment which is just "X" in the `string.Format` format string
int columnWidth = (rightOrLeftAlignment ? -1 : 1) *
// fit to actual items? this could screw up "evenness" if
// one column is longer than the others
// and you use this with multiple rows
(fitToItems
? Math.Max(desiredWidth, list.Select(o => o.Length).Max())
: desiredWidth
);
// make columns for all but the "last" (or first) one
string format = string.Concat(Enumerable.Range(rightOrLeftAlignment ? 0 : 1, list.Length-1).Select( i => string.Format("{{{0},{1}}}", i, columnWidth) ));
// then add the "last" one without Alignment
if(rightOrLeftAlignment) {
format += "{" + (list.Length-1) + "}";
}
else {
format = "{0}" + format;
}
return string.Format(format, list);
}
Specific to the Question
// for fun, assume multidimensional declaration rather than jagged
var data = new[,] {
{ "1.0536", "2.1", "2" },
{ "Round", "Square", "Hex" },
{ "6061-T6", "T351", "ASF.3.4.5" },
};
var tabbedData = EvenColumns(20, Transpose(ToJaggedArray(data)));
with Transpose
:
public T[][] Transpose<T>(T[][] original) {
// flip dimensions
var h = original.Length;
var w = original[0].Length;
var result = new T[h][];
for (var r = 0; r < h; r++) {
result[r] = new T[w];
for (var c = 0; c < w; c++)
{
result[r][c] = original[c][r];
}
}
return result;
}
And multidimensional arrays (source):
public T[][] ToJaggedArray<T>(T[,] multiArray) {
// via https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3010219/jagged-arrays-multidimensional-arrays-conversion-in-asp-net
var h = multiArray.GetLength(0);
var w = multiArray.GetLength(1);
var result = new T[h][];
for (var r = 0; r < h; r++) {
result[r] = new T[w];
for (var c = 0; c < w; c++) {
result[r][c] = multiArray[r, c];
}
}
return result;
}
I know this has long since been answered, but there is a new way as of C# 6.0
string[] one = new string[] { "1.0536", "2.1", "2" };
string[] two = new string[] { "Round", "Square", "Hex" };
string[] three = new string[] { "1.0536 Round 6061-T6", "2.1 Square T351", "2 Hex ASF.3.4.5" };
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) Console.WriteLine($"{one[i],-10}{two[i],-10}{three[i],-10}");
The $"{one[i],-10}{two[i],-10}{three[i],-10}"
is the new replacement for string.format . I have found it very useful in many of my projects. Here is a link to more information about string interpolation in c# 6.0:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/tutorials/string-interpolation