How can you get the first digit in an int (C#)?

Question

In C#, what\'s the best way to get the 1st digit in an int? The method I came up with is to turn the int into a string, find the 1st char of the string, then turn it back to

Answer 1

Here's how

int i = Math.Abs(386792);
while(i >= 10)
    i /= 10;

and i will contain what you need

Answer 2

Try this

public int GetFirstDigit(int number) {
  if ( number < 10 ) {
    return number;
  }
  return GetFirstDigit ( (number - (number % 10)) / 10);
}

EDIT

Several people have requested the loop version

public static int GetFirstDigitLoop(int number)
{
    while (number >= 10)
    {
        number = (number - (number % 10)) / 10;
    }
    return number;
}

Answer 3

Using all the examples below to get this code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Diagnostics;

namespace Benfords
{
    class Program
    {
        static int FirstDigit1(int value)
        {
            return Convert.ToInt32(value.ToString().Substring(0, 1));
        }

        static int FirstDigit2(int value)
        {
            while (value >= 10) value /= 10;
            return value;
        }


        static int FirstDigit3(int value)
        {
            return (int)(value.ToString()[0]) - 48;
        }

        static int FirstDigit4(int value)
        {
            return (int)(value / Math.Pow(10, (int)Math.Floor(Math.Log10(value))));
        }

        static int FirstDigit5(int value)
        {
            if (value < 10) return value;
            if (value < 100) return value / 10;
            if (value < 1000) return value / 100;
            if (value < 10000) return value / 1000;
            if (value < 100000) return value / 10000;
            if (value < 1000000) return value / 100000;
            if (value < 10000000) return value / 1000000;
            if (value < 100000000) return value / 10000000;
            if (value < 1000000000) return value / 100000000;
            return value / 1000000000;
        }

        static int FirstDigit6(int value)
        {
            if (value >= 100000000) value /= 100000000;
            if (value >= 10000) value /= 10000;
            if (value >= 100) value /= 100;
            if (value >= 10) value /= 10;
            return value;
        }

        const int mcTests = 1000000;

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Stopwatch lswWatch = new Stopwatch();
            Random lrRandom = new Random();

            int liCounter;

            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit1(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 1, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            lswWatch.Reset();
            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit2(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 2, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            lswWatch.Reset();
            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit3(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 3, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            lswWatch.Reset();
            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit4(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 4, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            lswWatch.Reset();
            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit5(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 5, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            lswWatch.Reset();
            lswWatch.Start();
            for (liCounter = 0; liCounter < mcTests; liCounter++)
                FirstDigit6(lrRandom.Next());
            lswWatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine("Test {0} = {1} ticks", 6, lswWatch.ElapsedTicks);

            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

I get these results on an AMD Ahtlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ (2.2 GHz):

Test 1 = 2352048 ticks
Test 2 = 614550 ticks
Test 3 = 1354784 ticks
Test 4 = 844519 ticks
Test 5 = 150021 ticks
Test 6 = 192303 ticks

But get these on a AMD FX 8350 Eight Core (4.00 GHz)

Test 1 = 3917354 ticks
Test 2 = 811727 ticks
Test 3 = 2187388 ticks
Test 4 = 1790292 ticks
Test 5 = 241150 ticks
Test 6 = 227738 ticks

So whether or not method 5 or 6 is faster depends on the CPU, I can only surmise this is because the branch prediction in the command processor of the CPU is smarter on the new processor, but I'm not really sure.

I dont have any Intel CPUs, maybe someone could test it for us?

Answer 4

Non iterative formula:

public static int GetHighestDigit(int num)
{
    if (num <= 0)
       return 0; 

    return (int)((double)num / Math.Pow(10f, Math.Floor(Math.Log10(num))));
}

Answer 5

Here is a simpler way that does not involve looping

int number = 1234
int firstDigit = Math.Floor(number/(Math.Pow(10, number.ToString().length - 1))

That would give us 1234/Math.Pow(10, 4 - 1) = 1234/1000 = 1

Answer 6

The best I can come up with is:

int numberOfDigits = Convert.ToInt32(Math.Floor( Math.Log10( value ) ) );

int firstDigit = value / Math.Pow( 10, numberOfDigits );