Is there a string math evaluator in .NET?

Question

If I have a string with a valid math expression such as:

String s = \"1 + 2 * 7\";

Is there a built in library/function in .NET that will p

Answer 1

Have you seen http://ncalc.codeplex.com ?

It's extensible, fast (e.g. has its own cache) enables you to provide custom functions and varaibles at run time by handling EvaluateFunction/EvaluateParameter events. Example expressions it can parse:

Expression e = new Expression("Round(Pow(Pi, 2) + Pow([Pi2], 2) + X, 2)"); 

  e.Parameters["Pi2"] = new Expression("Pi * Pi"); 
  e.Parameters["X"] = 10; 

  e.EvaluateParameter += delegate(string name, ParameterArgs args) 
    { 
      if (name == "Pi") 
      args.Result = 3.14; 
    }; 

  Debug.Assert(117.07 == e.Evaluate()); 

It also handles unicode & many data type natively. It comes with an antler file if you want to change the grammer. There is also a fork which supports MEF to load new functions.

Answer 2

namespace CalcExp
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            double res = Evaluate("4+5/2-1");

            Console.WriteLine(res);

        }

        public static double Evaluate(string expression)
        {
            var xsltExpression =
                string.Format("number({0})",
                    new Regex(@"([\+\-\*])").Replace(expression, " ${1} ")
                                            .Replace("/", " div ")
                                            .Replace("%", " mod "));

// ReSharper disable PossibleNullReferenceException
            return (double)new XPathDocument
                (new StringReader("<r/>"))
                    .CreateNavigator()
                    .Evaluate(xsltExpression);
// ReSharper restore PossibleNullReferenceException
        }

    }
}

Answer 3

You can use Math-Expression-Evaluator library that I am author of. It supports simple expressions such as 2.5+5.9, 17.89-2.47+7.16, 5/2/2+1.5*3+4.58, expressions with parentheses (((9-6/2)*2-4)/2-6-1)/(2+24/(2+4)) and expressions with variables:

var a = 6;
var b = 4.32m;
var c = 24.15m;
var engine = new ExpressionEvaluator();
engine.Evaluate("(((9-a/2)*2-b)/2-a-1)/(2+c/(2+4))", new { a, b, c});

You can also pass parameters as named variables:

dynamic dynamicEngine = new ExpressionEvaluator();

var a = 6;
var b = 4.5m;
var c = 2.6m;

dynamicEngine.Evaluate("(c+b)*a", a: 6, b: 4.5, c: 2.6);

It supports .Net Standard 2.0 so can be used from .Net Core as well as .Net Full Framework projects and it doesn't have any external dependencies.

Answer 4

You could add a reference to Microsoft Script Control Library (COM) and use code like this to evaluate an expression. (Also works for JScript.)

Dim sc As New MSScriptControl.ScriptControl()
sc.Language = "VBScript"
Dim expression As String = "1 + 2 * 7"
Dim result As Double = sc.Eval(expression)

Edit - C# version.

MSScriptControl.ScriptControl sc = new MSScriptControl.ScriptControl();
sc.Language = "VBScript";
string expression = "1 + 2 * 7";
object result = sc.Eval(expression);            
MessageBox.Show(result.ToString());

Edit - The ScriptControl is a COM object. In the "Add reference" dialog of the project select the "COM" tab and scroll down to "Microsoft Script Control 1.0" and select ok.

Answer 5

If you need very simple thing you can use the DataTable :-)

Dim dt As New DataTable
dt.Columns.Add("A", GetType(Integer))
dt.Columns.Add("B", GetType(Integer))
dt.Columns.Add("C", GetType(Integer))
dt.Rows.Add(New Object() {12, 13, DBNull.Value})

Dim boolResult As Boolean = dt.Select("A>B-2").Length > 0

dt.Columns.Add("result", GetType(Integer), "A+B*2+ISNULL(C,0)")
Dim valResult As Object = dt.Rows(0)("result")

Answer 6

Strange that this famous and old question has not an answer that suggests the builtin DataTable.Compute-"trick". Here it is.

double result = Convert.ToDouble(new DataTable().Compute("1 + 2 * 7", null));

The following arithmetic operators are supported in expressions:

+ (addition)
- (subtraction)
* (multiplication)
/ (division)
% (modulus)

More informations: DataColumn.Expression at Expression Syntax.