Telephone1.cs

// <Snippet1>
using System;
using System.Globalization;

public class TelephoneFormatter : IFormatProvider, ICustomFormatter
{
   public object GetFormat(Type formatType)
   {
      if (formatType == typeof(ICustomFormatter))
         return this;
      else
         return null;
   }               

   public string Format(string format, object arg, IFormatProvider formatProvider)
   {
      // Check whether this is an appropriate callback             
      if (! this.Equals(formatProvider))
         return null; 

      // Set default format specifier             
      if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(format)) 
         format = "N";

      string numericString = arg.ToString();
      
      if (format == "N")
      {
         if (numericString.Length <= 4)
            return numericString;
         else if (numericString.Length == 7)
            return numericString.Substring(0, 3) + "-" + numericString.Substring(3, 4); 
         else if (numericString.Length == 10)
               return "(" + numericString.Substring(0, 3) + ") " +
                      numericString.Substring(3, 3) + "-" + numericString.Substring(6);   
         else
            throw new FormatException( 
                      string.Format("'{0}' cannot be used to format {1}.", 
                                    format, arg.ToString()));
      }
      else if (format == "I")
      {
         if (numericString.Length < 10)
            throw new FormatException(string.Format("{0} does not have 10 digits.", arg.ToString()));
         else
            numericString = "+1 " + numericString.Substring(0, 3) + " " + numericString.Substring(3, 3) + " " + numericString.Substring(6);
      }
      else
      {
         throw new FormatException(string.Format("The {0} format specifier is invalid.", format));
      } 
      return numericString;  
   }
}

public class TestTelephoneFormatter
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0}", 0));
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0}", 911));
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0}", 8490216));
      // <Snippet3>
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0}", 4257884748));
      // </Snippet3>
      
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0:N}", 0));
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0:N}", 911));
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0:N}", 8490216));
      // <Snippet2>
      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0:N}", 4257884748));
      // </Snippet2>

      Console.WriteLine(String.Format(new TelephoneFormatter(), "{0:I}", 4257884748));
   }
}
// </Snippet1>