Xamarin: string represantation of object

Question

I'm looking for something similar in Xamarin to iOS -description method which is just string representation of object (called when u type po object in XCode console)

F.e I'm getting a Array or Dictionary and I need to display it in a label

in iOS I'd easilly do:

label.text = object.description;

and it would work for dictionary and arrays:

<__NSArrayI 0x7f8a83ef4b10>(
{
    description = "set_loyalty";
    event = "";
    mutation = 100;
    previous = 0;
    timestamp = "2016-04-08 09:45:15";
},
{
    description = "set_loyalty";
    event = "";
    mutation = 100;
    previous = 100;
    timestamp = "2016-04-08 09:45:16";
},

but in Xamarin I weren't able to find easy way to achieve the same.

I've tried:

object.toString();
String.Format("{0}", object);
object.Description;

None of it works like I want (I don't expect it to work :) like I want )

Is there a simple way to achieve this?

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

3

If it's an iOS object (inherits from NSObject), you can still use myObect.Description.

If not:

some types overload ToString() to print their properties nicely, but not all
have a look at: https://stackoverflow.com/a/1347630/1489968
or use a serializer of your choice (e.g. JSON.NET). But these will not dump every field / property.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:59

Community

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answered Apr 08 '16 at 11:02

Sven-Michael Stübe

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I love already xamarin, it crashes when I'm using: labelResponse.Text = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject (data); Exception: Specified cast is not valid – Injectios Apr 08 '16 at 11:20
what's the inner exception? What type has your `data` ? – Sven-Michael Stübe Apr 08 '16 at 11:23
I have currently Foundations object like NSDictionary and NSArray – Injectios Apr 08 '16 at 11:26
As I said. If it's `NSObject` (`NSDictionary` is) you can use `.Description`. What happened, when you tried `.Description`? You say, it's not working for you. – Sven-Michael Stübe Apr 08 '16 at 11:34
but .Description returns just first symbol like { but I have data {{ points = 0; }} Foundation.NSDictionary – Injectios Apr 08 '16 at 11:47
I think its because of the newlines. Set `label.Lines = 0` and give it enough height. – Sven-Michael Stübe Apr 08 '16 at 11:52
I can easy check it assigning to string – Injectios Apr 08 '16 at 11:56
yes, was lines = 0... Omg, so for Foundation object I can use .Description, for other I'd use JSON.Net, thanks – Injectios Apr 08 '16 at 11:59

Xamarin: string represantation of object

1 Answers1