Humanizer.Core Humanize Collections

Humanizer.Core provides a Humanize() extension method on any IEnumerable to get a nicely formatted string representing the objects in the collection. By default ToString() will be called on each item to get its representation.

class Book
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Title { get; set; }
    public int NoOfPages { get; set; }
    public override string ToString()
    {
        return Title + " (" + NoOfPages + ")";
    }
}

public static void Example1()
{
    List<Book> books = new List<Book>
    {
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Machine Learning", NoOfPages = 530 },
        new Book { Title = "Advanced Topics in Machine Learning", NoOfPages = 380},
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Computing", NoOfPages = 1171},
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Microeconomics", NoOfPages = 437}
    };

    Console.WriteLine(books.Humanize());
}

Let's execute the above example and you will see the following output.

Introduction to Machine Learning (530), Advanced Topics in Machine Learning (380), Introduction to Computing (1171), and Introduction to Microeconomics (437)

You can also pass a formatting function to the Humanize method.

public static void Example2()
{
    List<Book> books = new List<Book>
    {
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Machine Learning", NoOfPages = 530 },
        new Book { Title = "Advanced Topics in Machine Learning", NoOfPages = 380},
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Computing", NoOfPages = 1171},
        new Book { Title = "Introduction to Microeconomics", NoOfPages = 437}
    };

    Console.WriteLine(books.Humanize(b => string.Format("{0} has {1} pages", b.Title, b.NoOfPages)));
}

Let's execute the above example and you will see the following output.

Introduction to Machine Learning has 530 pages, Advanced Topics in Machine Learning has 380 pages, Introduction to Computing has 1171 pages, and Introduction to Microeconomics has 437 pages

You can see that a default separator is provided ("and" in English), but a different separator may be passed into the Humanize method as well.

books.Humanize("or");