ToString on Object using Invariant Culture

[Phil]

I have a variable defined as an Object type, which may contain a Double,
Integer, String or another simple type.
All of these types have an overload for ToString which takes a CultureInfo
as a parameter, so I can specify CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.
The Object type itself though does not have this overload so I can't just do
this:

MyString = MyObj.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

because it won't compile.
I have managed to work around this problem like this:

MyString = CallByName(MyObj, "ToString", CallType.Method,
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

but I feel there ought to be a 'better' way to do this.
Any suggestions appreciated.
TIA
Phil.

[Armin Zingler]

"Phil" <N/Aschrieb

I have a variable defined as an Object type, which may contain a
Double, Integer, String or another simple type.
All of these types have an overload for ToString which takes a
CultureInfo as a parameter, so I can specify
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.
The Object type itself though does not have this overload so I can't
just do this:

MyString = MyObj.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

because it won't compile.
I have managed to work around this problem like this:

MyString = CallByName(MyObj, "ToString", CallType.Method,
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

but I feel there ought to be a 'better' way to do this.
Any suggestions appreciated.
TIA
Phil.

Declare the variable as IFormattable. Though, String does not implement this
interface, but for the String type, it doesn't make sense to call this
overloaded ToString version anyway because it doesn't do a conversion.
Armin

[Phil]

Declare the variable as IFormattable. Though, String does not implement

this
interface, but for the String type, it doesn't make sense to call this
overloaded ToString version anyway because it doesn't do a conversion.

That sounds good. I can do something like this:

If TypeOf MyObj Is IFormattable Then
MyString = CType(MyObj, IFormattable).ToString(Nothing,
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
Else
MyString = MyObject.ToString
End If

[Phil]

>Declare the variable as IFormattable. Though, String does not implement

>this
interface, but for the String type, it doesn't make sense to call this
overloaded ToString version anyway because it doesn't do a conversion.

That sounds good. I can do something like this:

If TypeOf MyObj Is IFormattable Then
MyString = CType(MyObj, IFormattable).ToString(Nothing,
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
Else
MyString = MyObject.ToString
End If

Actually String *does* implement this overload (does no conversion though),
so I don't think I need the check on the object type at all (I know for this
application that it will always be a simple generic type, not an array nor a
class instance).

[Armin Zingler]

"Phil" <N/Aschrieb

Actually String *does* implement this overload

Yes, but String does not implement IFormattable.

(does no conversion
though), so I don't think I need the check on the object type at all
(I know for this application that it will always be a simple generic
type, not an array nor a class instance).

Armin

[Phil]

>Actually String *does* implement this overload

>
Yes, but String does not implement IFormattable.

I see, yes :-)
I think though I can use IConvertible instead.
This is implemented by all the simple generic types I think, and provides a
ToString overload that I can pass in a CultureInfo.
I don't actually need to use any special formatting. I just want to make
sure these values are stored in the same way irrespective of the user's
regional language settings.