DefaultToString.qhelp

<!DOCTYPE qhelp PUBLIC
  "-//Semmle//qhelp//EN"
  "qhelp.dtd">
<qhelp>
<overview>
<p>
Calling <code>System.Object</code>'s (or <code>System.ValueType</code>'s) <code>ToString</code>
method on a value returns the fully qualified name of the type of that value. In most cases this is
not useful, or what was intended. This rule finds explicit and implicit calls to the default
<code>ToString</code> methods.
</p>

</overview>
<recommendation>

<p>
Override the default <code>ToString</code> method, if possible, or perform bespoke string conversion.
</p>

</recommendation>
<example>
<p>
In the following example, the default <code>ToString</code> method is invoked first on an object
of type <code>Person</code>, and then on an integer array. The output results are
<code>p: Bad+Person</code> and <code>ints: System.Int32[]</code>, respectively.
</p>
<sample src="DefaultToStringBad.cs" />

<p>
In the fixed example, the <code>ToString</code> method is overridden in the class <code>Person</code>,
and <code>string.Join</code> is used to print the elements of the integer array (it is not possible
to override <code>ToString</code> in that case). The output results are
<code>p: Eric Arthur Blair</code> and <code>ints: 1, 2, 3</code>, respectively.
</p>
<sample src="DefaultToStringGood.cs" />

</example>
<references>

<li>MSDN: <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.object.tostring.aspx">Object.ToString Method</a>, <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/wb77sz3h(v=vs.110).aspx">ValueType.ToString Method</a>.</li>

</references>
</qhelp>