Differences in displaying currency

Question

While playing around with formatting a string with a currency value, I noticed a difference in how WPF displays it.

When formatting a decimal value in XAML, WPF displays it as 5,99 €.

<TextBlock Text="{Binding Total, StringFormat={}{0:C}}"/>
return 5.99m;

When I format in code behind, it displays it as € 5,99.

<TextBlock Text="{Binding TotalString}"/>
return string.Format("{0:C}", 5.99m);

Is this a bug?

I got Windows 10, targeting .NET version is 4.5.2.

Which country? On my german Windows 10, `string.Format` returns "5,99 €" — Clemens, Dec 17 '16 at 18:19
@Clemens Belgium. My settings in windows are also correct so that won't be the problem I think. — DeMama, Dec 17 '16 at 18:20

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:08

When setting the StringFormat of a Binding, WPF does not use CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, but just en-US by default, or the value you specify by setting the element's (or its parent's) Language property. See this question for more details.

On the other hand, string.Format does use CultureInfo.CurrentCulture. And how that exactly behaves with regard to formatting currencies is configurable by the user.

For example the currency pattern is controlled by the registry value HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International\iCurrency and can be set in the Control Panel (sorry it's German):

So you might just change that setting to achieve the formatting behaviour you get from StringFormat.

Differences in displaying currency

1 Answers1