Easy, Old School Printf-Style Formatting for std::string and std::wstring

FormatString.h

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// FormatString.h : Standard String Formatting Support
//
// Author Name :
//      Darrin W. Cullop ([email protected])
//
// License :
//      CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
//
// Abstract :
//      Create or append to a std::string/std::wstring with simple "PrintF" functionality
//      (Simliar to C++20's std::format but using the old-school printf style formatting)
//
// Example Usages:
//      std::string str = dwc::FormatString( "Hello, World! The number is %d!", 37 );
//      std::wstring strw = dwc::FormatString( L"Hello, World! The number is %d!", 37 );
//
//      auto str1 = std::string{"Hello"};
//      dwc::AppendFormatString( str1, " %s!", "World" );
//      std::cout << str1 << std::endl;     // Prints "Hello World!"
//
//      auto wstr1 = std::wstring{L"Hello"};
//      dwc::AppendFormatString( wstr1, L" %s!", "Nurse" );
//      std::wcout << dwc::AppendFormatString(wstr1, L"\r\n").c_str();   // wstr1 becomes L"Hello Nurse!\r\n"
//
//      auto mixWidths = std::string{"Q: Can we mix in a Wide String?"};
//      dwc::AppendFormatString(mixWidths, "\r\nA: ");
//      dwc::AppendFormatString(mixWidths, "[%S]", L"Yup but why would we?");
//      dwc::AppendFormatString(mixWidths, "\r\n");
//      dwc::AppendFormatString(mixWidths, "(Ya never know what you're gonna need)");
//
//      std::string GetDictionaryDisplayString( const std::map<std::string, std::string>& dictionary )
//      {
//          auto display = dwc::FormatString( "Dictionary contains %u Entries\r\n", dictionary.size() );
//          for ( const auto& entry : dictionary )
//          {
//              const auto& [key, value] = *entry;
//              dwc::AppendFormatString( display, "\t[%s] = %s\r\n", key.c_str(), value.c_str() );
//          }
//          return display;
//      }
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

#pragma once

#include <string>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cwchar>
#include <cassert>

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// dwc Namespace
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

namespace dwc
{
    namespace Details
    {      
        // Formatting Overloads for both types of strings
        template<typename... Args>
        inline auto Format( char* const buffer, std::size_t size, const char* const format, Args&&... args )
        {
            return std::snprintf( buffer, size, format, std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        }

        template<typename... Args>
        inline auto Format( wchar_t* const buffer, std::size_t size, const wchar_t* const format, Args&&... args )
        {
            return std::swprintf( buffer, size, format, std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        }
    }

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    template<typename CharType, typename... Args>
    [[nodiscard]] auto FormatString( const CharType* const format, Args&&... args ) -> std::basic_string<CharType>
    {
        using String = std::basic_string<CharType>;

        // Get the number of characters needed (without the null)
        const auto need = Details::Format( nullptr, 0, format, std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        assert( ( need > 0 ) || ( format[0] == CharType{ '\0' } ) );

        // Allocate the right amount (but include the null)
        auto result = String( need + std::size_t{ 1 }, CharType{ '\0' } );

        // Write the characters into the string data
        const auto used = Details::Format( result.data(), result.capacity(), format, std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        assert( ( used > 0 ) || ( format[0] == CharType{ '\0' } ) );

        // Shrink the string down to the perfect size (leaving the null at the end for safety)
        result.resize( used );

        // Return the result
        return result;
    }

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    template<typename StrType, typename... Args>
    auto AppendFormatString( StrType& target, 
                             const typename StrType::value_type* const format, 
                             Args&&... args ) -> StrType&
    {
        using CharType = typename StrType::value_type;

        // Find the spot to insert, either at the null, or at the end
        auto offset = target.find_last_of( CharType{ '\0' } );
        if ( offset == StrType::npos )
        {
            offset = target.size();
        }

        // Determine the length of the string to be appended
        const auto need = Details::Format( nullptr, 0, format, std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        assert( ( need > 0 ) || ( format[0] == CharType{ '\0' } ) );

        // Resize the string to fit the old, the new, and the null
        target.resize( offset + need + std::size_t{ 1 }, CharType{ '\0' } );

        // Write the string to be appended into the string's buffer
        const auto used = Details::Format( target.data() + offset,
                                                target.capacity() - offset,
                                                format,
                                                std::forward<Args>( args )... );
        assert( ( used > 0 ) || ( format[0] == CharType{ '\0' } ) );

        // Shrink the string down to the perfect size (leaving the null at the end for safety)
        target.resize( used + offset );

        // Return the string object
        return target;
    }

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
}   // namespace dwc

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// End of FormatString.h
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////