Getting The Words For A Given Number

Environment: .NET, Visual Basic, Web Services

Introduction

This sample code describes a Web Service through which a client can get the equivalent of a number in words. This can be used in accounting packages, invoices, and so forth.

Requirements

The following items describe the recommended hardware, software, network infrastructure, skills, prior knowledge, and service packs you will need.

• Windows 2000 Server
• IIS version 5.0
• Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0

How to Get The Words for a Given Number

By using this sample code in an IIS Server, we can have a Web Service that will convert a given number into its equivalent in words. For example, if you need a code that converts a total amount such as $43.25 into words such as forty-three dollars and twenty-five cents, you can use this Web Service.

Here is the sample code for the same.

<%@ WebService Language="VB" Class="NumberToWords" %>
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports System.Web
Imports System.Web.Services
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Public Class NumberToWords
    Inherits System.Web.Services.WebService
  <WebMethod(Description:="Gets the words for a Number", _
             EnableSession:=False)> _
    Public Function getWords(myNumber AS String) As String
       getWords = SpellNumber(myNumber)
    End Function

'Main Function
Private Function SpellNumber(MyNumber As String)
    Dim Dollars, Cents, Temp
    Dim DecimalPlace, Count

    Dim Place(9) As String
    Place(2) = " Thousand "
    Place(3) = " Million "
    Place(4) = " Billion "
    Place(5) = " Trillion "

    ' String representation of amount
    MyNumber = Convert.ToString(MyNumber)

    ' Position of decimal place 0 if none
    DecimalPlace = InStr(MyNumber, ".")
    'Convert cents and set MyNumber to dollar amount
    If DecimalPlace > 0 Then
        Cents = GetTens(Left(Mid(MyNumber, DecimalPlace + 1) & _
                             "00", 2))
        MyNumber = Trim(Left(MyNumber, DecimalPlace - 1))
    End If

    Count = 1
    Do While MyNumber <> ""
       Temp = GetHundreds(Right(MyNumber, 3))
       If Temp <> "" Then Dollars = Temp & Place(Count) & Dollars
          If Len(MyNumber) > 3 Then
             MyNumber = Left(MyNumber, Len(MyNumber) - 3)
        Else
            MyNumber = ""
        End If
        Count = Count + 1
    Loop

    Select Case Dollars
        Case ""
            Dollars = "zero Dollars"
        Case "One"
            Dollars = "One Dollar"
        Case Else
            Dollars = Dollars & " Dollars"
    End Select

    Select Case Cents
        Case ""
            Cents = " and zero Cents"
        Case "One"
            Cents = " and One Cent"
        Case Else
            Cents = " and " & Cents & " Cents"
    End Select

    SpellNumber = Dollars & Cents
End Function

'Converts a number from 100-999 into text
Private Function GetHundreds(MyNumber As String)
    Dim Result As String

    If Val(MyNumber) = 0 Then Exit Function
    MyNumber = Right("000" & MyNumber, 3)

    'Convert the hundreds place
    If Mid(MyNumber, 1, 1) <> "0" Then
        Result = GetDigit(Mid(MyNumber, 1, 1)) & " Hundred "
    End If

    'Convert the tens and ones place
    If Mid(MyNumber, 2, 1) <> "0" Then
        Result = Result & GetTens(Mid(MyNumber, 2))
    Else
        Result = Result & GetDigit(Mid(MyNumber, 3))
    End If

    GetHundreds = Result
End Function

'Converts a number from 10 to 99 into text
Private Function GetTens(TensText As String)
    Dim Result As String

    Result = ""           'null out the temporary function value
    If Val(Left(TensText, 1)) = 1 Then   ' If value between 10-19
        Select Case Val(TensText)
            Case 10: Result = "Ten"
            Case 11: Result = "Eleven"
            Case 12: Result = "Twelve"
            Case 13: Result = "Thirteen"
            Case 14: Result = "Fourteen"
            Case 15: Result = "Fifteen"
            Case 16: Result = "Sixteen"
            Case 17: Result = "Seventeen"
            Case 18: Result = "Eighteen"
            Case 19: Result = "Nineteen"
            Case Else
        End Select
      Else                               ' If value between 20-99
        Select Case Val(Left(TensText, 1))
            Case 2: Result = "Twenty "
            Case 3: Result = "Thirty "
            Case 4: Result = "Forty "
            Case 5: Result = "Fifty "
            Case 6: Result = "Sixty "
            Case 7: Result = "Seventy "
            Case 8: Result = "Eighty "
            Case 9: Result = "Ninety "
            Case Else
        End Select
         Result = Result & GetDigit(Right(TensText, 1))
                  'Retrieve ones place
      End If
      GetTens = Result
  End Function

'Converts a number from 1 to 9 into text
Private Function GetDigit(Digit As String)
    Select Case Val(Digit)
        Case 1: GetDigit = "One"
        Case 2: GetDigit = "Two"
        Case 3: GetDigit = "Three"
        Case 4: GetDigit = "Four"
        Case 5: GetDigit = "Five"
        Case 6: GetDigit = "Six"
        Case 7: GetDigit = "Seven"
        Case 8: GetDigit = "Eight"
        Case 9: GetDigit = "Nine"
        Case Else: GetDigit = ""
    End Select
End Function
End Class

Making This a Web Service

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy the code shown above and paste it into Notepad.
3. Save the file as NumberToWords.asmx into the c:InetPubwwwroot folder on your system.
4. Run the Web Service by requesting the file in the browser (http://localhost/NumberToWords.asmx).
5. Check the same by giving different numbers with decimals and invoking the service.

References

For more information about how to write and use Web Services in your Web application development, browse to the following MSDN Web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/webservices/.