Regional settings in XML ?

[ORC]

How is the best way (the standard way) to handle changes in regional
settings in XML?
If a XML file is generated with the dot as the decimal symbol (like in US)
and a user changes to use a comma as the decimal symbol (like in franche).
Let me give an example: An application saves a number value defined as
double in a node. The value will be converted to a string as e.g. 3.1415
(regional settings = US). A user changes the regional settings to 'Franche'
and when the application reads the value it will return an error because it
doesn't understand the dot sign.

Thanks,
Ole

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

How is the best way (the standard way) to handle changes in regional
settings in XML?
If a XML file is generated with the dot as the decimal symbol (like in US)
and a user changes to use a comma as the decimal symbol (like in franche).
Let me give an example: An application saves a number value defined as
double in a node. The value will be converted to a string as e.g. 3.1415
(regional settings = US). A user changes the regional settings to 'Franche'
and when the application reads the value it will return an error because it
doesn't understand the dot sign.

The best thing to do, IMO, is store them in the invariant culture -
separate the XML form from the form the user will see.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ORC]

Thanks. Do you have a simple example of how to save and load a variable in
invariant format - I have been looking for things like that, but I can't
find a solution.

Thanks
Ole

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <sk***@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

How is the best way (the standard way) to handle changes in regional
settings in XML?
If a XML file is generated with the dot as the decimal symbol (like in US) and a user changes to use a comma as the decimal symbol (like in franche). Let me give an example: An application saves a number value defined as
double in a node. The value will be converted to a string as e.g. 3.1415
(regional settings = US). A user changes the regional settings to 'Franche' and when the application reads the value it will return an error because it doesn't understand the dot sign.

The best thing to do, IMO, is store them in the invariant culture -
separate the XML form from the form the user will see.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

Thanks. Do you have a simple example of how to save and load a
variable in invariant format - I have been looking for things like
that, but I can't find a solution.

If you use the XmlConvert class, it already does things in an invariant
format. If you're using another way of saving and loading, you'll need
to explain how you're doing it so we can see whether there's a way you
can do it in a culture neutral way.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ORC]

Hi,

When writing a value to the XML I use: MyUnknownTypeValue.ToString();
When reading from the XML I use:
MyUnknownTypeValue =
Convert.ChangeType(LoadedValue, TypeOf(MyUnknownTypeValue), null );

Thanks,
Ole

When saving I simply use
"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <sk***@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

Thanks. Do you have a simple example of how to save and load a
variable in invariant format - I have been looking for things like
that, but I can't find a solution.

If you use the XmlConvert class, it already does things in an invariant
format. If you're using another way of saving and loading, you'll need
to explain how you're doing it so we can see whether there's a way you
can do it in a culture neutral way.

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

When writing a value to the XML I use: MyUnknownTypeValue.ToString();
When reading from the XML I use:
MyUnknownTypeValue =
Convert.ChangeType(LoadedValue, TypeOf(MyUnknownTypeValue), null );

Right. I suggest you use the XmlConvert class instead of that then, to
give you more control.

(You *could* temporarily change the culture of the current thread, but
I think that's a bit of a grotty hack way of doing it.)

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ORC]

The XmlConvert doesn't unfortunately accept an object as a parameter e.g.
like this:
"XmlConvert(field.GetValue(MyClass));"
But:
"field.GetValue(MyClass).ToString();"
works!

the field is derived in a foreach fieldInfo loop.

So the temporarily change to a US culture would probably be the only
solution left, or am I missing something? But how do I change the culture of
the current thread?

Thanks
Ole
"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <sk***@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

When writing a value to the XML I use: MyUnknownTypeValue.ToString();
When reading from the XML I use:
MyUnknownTypeValue =
Convert.ChangeType(LoadedValue, TypeOf(MyUnknownTypeValue), null );

Right. I suggest you use the XmlConvert class instead of that then, to
give you more control.

(You *could* temporarily change the culture of the current thread, but
I think that's a bit of a grotty hack way of doing it.)

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

The XmlConvert doesn't unfortunately accept an object as a parameter e.g.
like this:
"XmlConvert(field.GetValue(MyClass));"
But:
"field.GetValue(MyClass).ToString();"
works!
Well yes, you'll need to do a bit more work - it's not a one line
change. You need to call the appropriate overload of
XmlConvert.ToString when going to XML, and
XmlConvert.ToByte/Boolean/etc on the way back.
the field is derived in a foreach fieldInfo loop. So the temporarily change to a US culture would probably be the only
solution left, or am I missing something? But how do I change the culture of
the current thread?

I really don't recommend it, but you can use
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = ...;

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[ORC]

I found a great workaound that works very well - the best part is that it
can be done in ONE line and that is 'Clean' code:

string elementString = Convert.ToString(Convert.ChangeType(fieldValue,
typeof(string), System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture) );

Ole

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <sk***@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om...

ORC <or*@sol.dk> wrote:

The XmlConvert doesn't unfortunately accept an object as a parameter e.g. like this:
"XmlConvert(field.GetValue(MyClass));"
But:
"field.GetValue(MyClass).ToString();"
works!

Well yes, you'll need to do a bit more work - it's not a one line
change. You need to call the appropriate overload of
XmlConvert.ToString when going to XML, and
XmlConvert.ToByte/Boolean/etc on the way back.

the field is derived in a foreach fieldInfo loop.

So the temporarily change to a US culture would probably be the only
solution left, or am I missing something? But how do I change the culture of the current thread?

I really don't recommend it, but you can use
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = ...;

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.com>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too