format_string¶

The format_string filter enables you to format a string within your Experience Builder template using placeholders and optional arguments. It works similarly to the string interpolation ($"") or String.Format method in C#.

Functionality

String Formatting: Takes a format string as the input. The format string can contain placeholders enclosed in curly braces {}.
Arguments: Accepts a variable number of arguments that will be inserted into the placeholders in the format string. The arguments can be of any data type, including strings, numbers, dates, and even objects.
Culture (Optional): Supports an optional named argument culture to specify the culture-specific formatting information. If not provided, the default culture will be used.
Output: Returns a new string with the formatted result.

Syntax

    {{ input_string | format_string: arg1, arg2, ..., argn, culture: culture_string }}

Arguments

arg1, arg2, ..., argn: The values to be inserted into the placeholders in the format string.
culture (optional): A string specifying the culture to use for formatting (e.g., "en-US").

Code Samples

Example 1: Basic String Formatting

    {% assign name = "Alice" %}
    {% assign age = 30 %}

    {{ "{0} is {1} years old." | format_string: name, age }}

Output:

Alice is 30 years old.

Example 2: Using Named Placeholders

    {% assign product = { "name": "Widget", "price": 19.99 } %}
    {{ "{product.name} costs {product.price:C}" | format_string }}

Output:

Widget costs $19.99

Example 3: Formatting with Culture

    {% assign price = 1234.56 %}

    {{ "{0:C}" | format_string: price, culture: "fr-FR" }}

Output:

1 234,56 €

Outliers and Special Cases¶

Mismatched Placeholders and Arguments: If the number of placeholders in the format string doesn't match the number of arguments provided, an error might occur.
Invalid Format Specifiers: If the format string contains invalid format specifiers, an error might occur. Refer to the .NET format specifiers documentation for details.
Null or Empty Arguments: If an argument is null or empty, it might be represented as an empty string or throw an error, depending on the specific format specifier used.

Key Points¶

The format_string filter provides a flexible way to dynamically construct strings with variables and custom formatting.
It allows you to use placeholders, formatting specifiers, and culture-specific formatting rules.
Be mindful of the correct number of arguments and their types to ensure proper formatting and avoid errors.
Leverage the culture argument to localize the output according to the user's preferences or region.