[removed] What is the simplest way to format a string?

Question

I have the following format: Value1 is {0} and Value2 is {1}.

I need to replace the numbers in the brackets with strings. This is easily done in most languages usin

Answer 1

As none of the answers so far addresses the problem of formatting (as opposed to interpolating/splicing strings into strings):

This simple Class:

Class cFormat
  Private m_oSB
  Private Sub Class_Initialize()
    Set m_oSB = CreateObject("System.Text.StringBuilder")
  End Sub ' Class_Initialize
  Public Function formatOne(sFmt, vElm)
    m_oSB.AppendFormat sFmt, vElm
    formatOne = m_oSB.ToString()
    m_oSB.Length = 0
  End Function ' formatOne
  Public Function formatArray(sFmt, aElms)
    m_oSB.AppendFormat_4 sFmt, (aElms)
    formatArray = m_oSB.ToString()
    m_oSB.Length = 0
  End Function ' formatArray
End Class ' cFormat

harness .NET formatting for VBScript via COM. Now you can do:

-------- Interpolation
Use    |Value1 is {0} and Value2 is {1}.|
to get |Value1 is zero and Value2 is one.|
from   |zero one|

Use    |{0} x 2 => {0}{0}|
to get |once x 2 => onceonce|
from   |once|

-------- Cherrypicking
Use    |{6,4}: [{0}, {2}, {4}]|
to get |even: [0, 2, 4]|
from   |0 1 2 3 4 5 even odd|

Use    |{7,4}: [{5}, {3}, {1}]|
to get | odd: [5, 3, 1]|
from   |0 1 2 3 4 5 even odd|

-------- Conversions
Use    ||{0:D}| |{0:X}| |{0:N3}| |{0:P2}| (german locale!)|
to get ||123| |7B| |123,000| |12.300,00%| (german locale!)|
from   |123|

Use    ||{0}| |{0:U}| |{0:u}||
to get ||29.06.2012 14:50:30| |Freitag, 29. Juni 2012 12:50:30| |2012-06-29 14:50:30Z||
from   |29.06.2012 14:50:30|

Use    ||{0}| |{0:E1}| |{0:N1}| |{0:N2}| |{0:N3}||
to get ||1234,56| |1,2E+003| |1.234,6| |1.234,56| |1.234,560||
from   |1234,56|

-------- Alignment
Use    ||{0,1:D}| |{0,2:D}| |{0,-2:D}| |{0,5:D}| |{0,-5:D}||
to get ||12| |12| |12| |   12| |12   ||
from   |12|

If you are interested in the test/demo script to do some experiments of your own:

Option Explicit

' Class cFormat ...

Dim oFormat : Set oFormat = New cFormat
Dim aTests  : aTests      = Array( _
    Array("Interpolation" _
      , Array( _
            Array(True,  "Value1 is {0} and Value2 is {1}.", Array("zero", "one")) _
          , Array(False, "{0} x 2 => {0}{0}"               , "once"              ) _
        } _
    ) _
  , Array("Cherrypicking" _
      , Array( _
            Array(True , "{6,4}: [{0}, {2}, {4}]", Array(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, "even", "odd")) _
          , Array(True , "{7,4}: [{5}, {3}, {1}]", Array(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, "even", "odd")) _
        } _
    ) _
  , Array("Conversions" _
      , Array( _
            Array(False, "|{0:D}| |{0:X}| |{0:N3}| |{0:P2}| (german locale!)", 123      ) _
          , Array(False, "|{0}| |{0:U}| |{0:u}|"                             , Now     ) _
          , Array(False, "|{0}| |{0:E1}| |{0:N1}| |{0:N2}| |{0:N3}|"         , 1234.56 ) _
        } _
    ) _
  , Array("Alignment" _
      , Array( _
            Array(False, "|{0,1:D}| |{0,2:D}| |{0,-2:D}| |{0,5:D}| |{0,-5:D}|", 12 ) _
        } _
    ) _
)
Dim sFormat : sFormat = "Use    |{0}|{3}to get |{1}|{3}from   |{2}|{3}"
Dim aData   : aData   = Array(0, 1, 2, vbCrLf)
Dim aTest
For Each aTest In aTests
    WScript.Echo "--------", aTest(0)
    Dim aSample
    For Each aSample In aTest(1)
        aData(0) = aSample(1)
        If aSample(0) Then
           aData(1) = oFormat.formatArray(aSample(1), aSample(2))
           aData(2) = Join(aSample(2))
        Else
           aData(1) = oFormat.formatOne(  aSample(1), aSample(2))
           aData(2) = aSample(2)
        End If
        WScript.Echo oFormat.formatArray(sFormat, aData)
    Next
    WScript.Echo
Next

To learn about formatting in .NET, start with StringBuilder.AppendFormat Method (String, Object) and Formatting Types.

See here and here for ideas to include (not Copy&Paste) such a Class into your script.