Divide double Math.Ceiling Math.Floor Math.Round Modulo ToString

Percentages

In C# programs we often find percentages helpful. With the numbers 1 and 2, we can get a percentage of 50%. We display and process percentages with doubles.

Method notes

With these methods, we solve an annoying rounding problem. Percentages can often be used to improve displayed values for users.

First example

We use string.Format to display 2 numbers or ratio as a percentage. The 3 methods all handle percentages. But their logic is implemented in different ways.

Note DisplayPercentage accepts a double that is a ratio. The "0.0%" indicates a percentage with 1 digit past the decimal place.

Note 2 The second DisplayPercentage accepts 2 parameters and then passes the ratio of them to the other method. It casts to double.

Also GetPercentageString accepts a double containing a ratio and returns a percentage string using ToString().

using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Display percentage of visits that resulted in purchases.
        int purchases = 10;
        int visitors = 120;
        DisplayPercentage((double)purchases / visitors);

        // Display 50 percent with overloaded method.
        DisplayPercentage(1, 2);

        // Write percentage string of nine tenths.
        Console.WriteLine(GetPercentageString((double)9 / 10));
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// This method writes the percentage form of a double to the console.
    /// </summary>
    static void DisplayPercentage(double ratio)
    {
        string percentage = string.Format("Percentage is {0:0.0%}", ratio);
        Console.WriteLine(percentage);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// This method writes the percentage of the top number to the bottom number.
    /// </summary>
    static void DisplayPercentage(int top, int bottom)
    {
        DisplayPercentage((double)top / bottom);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// This method returns the percentage-formatted string.
    /// </summary>
    static string GetPercentageString(double ratio)
    {
        return ratio.ToString("0.0%");
    }
}Percentage is 8.3%
Percentage is 50.0%
90.0%

Example 2

Here we convert 2 integers into a percentage manually with division and multiplication. Sometimes you can need raw percentages.

Detail The double must be assigned to a value cast to double. If you omit the cast, your value will be rounded and probably useless.

Tip When casting to double, you do not need to surround the entire expression with parentheses.

Info Math.Floor rounds down to the nearest integer. And Math.Ceiling rounds up to the nearest integer.

using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // We want to have 92.9% from these two numbers.
        int valid = 92;
        int total = 99;

        // First multiply top by 100 then divide.
        double percent = (double)(valid * 100) / total; // <-- Use cast

        // This is the percent number.
        Console.WriteLine(percent);
        Console.WriteLine(Math.Floor(percent));
        Console.WriteLine(Math.Ceiling(percent));
        Console.WriteLine(Math.Round(percent, 1));
    }
}92.9292929292929
92
93
92.9

Modulo

The percentage sign in the C# language has a use as the modulo operator. This forms an expression that will return the remainder of a division of the 2 operands.

Tip With modulo division, we can run an operation every N times. This has uses in many programs.

A summary

First we saw how to format ratios as percentages with 3 different methods. Second, we saw how to get a percentage value directly with math, and then round it.