Human Readable Double Values for Parameters in the Revit API

This is a follow up or addition if you like to a previous post entitled A Classy Way to Handle Revit Parameters where I demonstrate a simple class for working with parameter objects in the Revit API.

This particular example is interesting in that we actually have a carnivorous way to get and set double formatted data by decimal as well as a more generic and simple way as string. It is obviously more difficult to calculate or aggregate values from a string representation value such as 6'-4" compared to 76.00 but sometimes the string representation is exactly what you need.

The sample code below demonstrates ho a variable initiated as a DB.Parameter is used to get and set the value from or to a string. The get will retrieve a value of 7'-0" or similarly you can set a value by entering 7'-0"...

Add the following snippet to the clsPara class to access the string values of a double formatted parameter:

''' <summary>
    ''' This property will return the string structured value for a double rather than a decimal
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <value></value>
    ''' <returns>A String</returns>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Public Property DoubleValueAsString As String
        Get
            If m_parameter.StorageType = DB.StorageType.Double Then
                Try
                    ' Returns the human readable string representation of a double
                    Return m_parameter.AsValueString
                Catch ex As Exception
                    Return ""
                End Try
            Else
                Return ""
            End If
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            If m_parameter.StorageType = DB.StorageType.Double Then
                Try
                    ' Sets the human readable string representation of a double (7'-0" or 150mm)
                    m_parameter.SetValueString(value)
                Catch
                End Try
            End If
        End Set
    End Property