What is an idiomatic Rust way to format a value to multiple kinds of strings? - rust

Question

I have latitude in degrees in the form of a f64 and I need to convert it into a String. At first I thought about implementing Display, like this:
struct Latitude(f64);
impl fmt::Display for Latitude {
fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
write!(f, "{} {}", if self.0 > 0. { "N" } else { "S" }, self.0)
}
}
fn main() {
let lat: f64 = 45.;
println!("{}", Latitude(lat));
}
After that, I have additional requirements. I need convert to one of two representations:
N 70.152351
N 70° 09' 08"
There is also an additional flag; when it is false, I need something like:
- --.------
- --° -' -"
The most simple way to implement this will be:
fn format_lat(degree: f64, use_min_sec_variant: bool, is_valid: bool) -> String;
However, I don't see any free functions in the Rust standard library.
Maybe I should use struct Latitude(f64) and implement a to_string method? Or maybe I should implement some other trait?

Answer 1

You can create wrapper types with different types of formatting and return them as a method:
struct Latitude(f64);
struct MinutesSeconds(f64);
impl Latitude {
fn minutes_seconds(&self) -> MinutesSeconds {
MinutesSeconds(self.0)
}
}
impl fmt::Display for MinutesSeconds {
fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
write!(f, "latitude in a different format")
}
}
This is the same idea as Path::display.
As for the valid / invalid concept, it sounds like you really want a struct Latitude(Option<f64>) and then provide None when it is invalid.

Answer 2

Basically you're free to do what you want. Without more context on your goals, any method seems good enough for me.
Personally I'd do it as:
struct Latitude(f64);
impl Latitutde {
pub fn format_as_x(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result<(), Error> {}
pub fn format_as_y(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result<(), Error> {}
}
plus a Display trait + to_format_x() -> String convenience functions.
format_as_y are IMO best method since they handle errors, can take any formatter and don't need to allocate a String to return.
By the way, taking bool arguments is usually an anti-pattern: boolean trap.

Answer 3

You can impl Latitude if you need to pass arguments or impl ToString for Latitude if you don't:
use std::string::ToString;
struct Latitude(f64);
// If you need parameterisation on your conversion function
impl Latitude {
// You'd probably use a better-suited name
pub fn to_string_parameterised(&self, use_min_sec_variant: bool) -> String {
// Conversion code
format!("{} {}", self.0, use_min_sec_variant)
}
}
// If you don't need parameterisation and want to play nicely with 100% of all code elsewhere
impl ToString for Latitude {
fn to_string(&self) -> String {
// Conversion code
format!("{}", self.0)
}
}
fn main() {
let lat = Latitude(45.0);
println!("{}", lat.to_string_parameterised(false));
println!("{}", lat.to_string());
}