[API Proposal]: Implement ISpanParsable/Formattable for PhysicalAddress

[PaulusParssinen]

Background and motivation

PhysicalAddress already provides [Try]Parse overloads and a ToString for IFormattable. I propose giving some love to this type and implementing ISpanFormattable and ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.

These could now light up in various contexts, for example, ISpanFormattable would allow PhysicalAddress light up in the string interpolated handlers.

While not being as important as IPAddress and being hidden in namespace below, I'd argue PhysicalAddress is important enough networking primitive type to warrant these interfaces.

API Proposal

namespace System.Net.NetworkInformation;

public class PhysicalAddress
+    : ISpanFormattable, ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>
{
    // I(Span)Parsable overloads
    // can delegate to existing public (Try)Parse(..) overloads.
+    static bool IParsable<PhysicalAddress>.TryParse(string? s, IFormatProvider? provider, out PhysicalAddress? result);
+    static bool ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.TryParse(ReadOnlySpan<char> s, IFormatProvider? provider, out PhysicalAddress? result);

+    static PhysicalAddress IParsable<PhysicalAddress>.Parse(string s, IFormatProvider? provider);
+    static PhysicalAddress ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.Parse(ReadOnlySpan<char> s, IFormatProvider? provider);

    // IFormattable, can delegate to existing public ToString().
+    string IFormattable.ToString(string? format, IFormatProvider? formatProvider);

    // ISpanFormattable
    // Has no existing overload to delegate to, should it be publicly provided like IPAddress and IPNetwork?
+    bool ISpanFormattable.TryFormat(Span<char> destination, out int charsWritten, ReadOnlySpan<char> format, IFormatProvider? provider);
    // e.g. Should we provide a following?
+    public bool TryFormat(Span<char> destination, out int charsWritten);
}

API Usage

PhysicalAddress physicalAddress = ...;
string s = $"The address is {physicalAddress}";

Alternative Designs

Note

Could also implement IUtf8SpanFormattable and IUtf8SpanParsable but should that be separate proposal?

Could also just implement IFormattable and IParsable, but please, don't.

Risks

No response

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

I couldn't figure out the best area label to add to this issue. If you have write-permissions please help me learn by adding exactly one area label.

[ghost]

Tagging subscribers to this area: @dotnet/ncl
See info in area-owners.md if you want to be subscribed.

Issue Details

---

Background and motivation

PhysicalAddress already provides [Try]Parse overloads and a ToString for IFormattable. I propose giving some love to this type and implementing ISpanFormattable and ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.

These could now light up in various contexts, for example, ISpanFormattable would allow PhysicalAddress it to light up in the string interpolated handlers.

While not being as important as IPAddress and being "hidden" in namespace below, I'd argue PhysicalAddress is important enough networking "primitive" type to warrant these interfaces.

API Proposal

namespace System.Net.NetworkInformation;

public class PhysicalAddress
+    : ISpanFormattable, ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>
{
    // I(Span)Parsable overloads
    // can delegate to existing (Try)Parse overloads. IFormatProvider provider would be explicitly ignored I presume.
+    public static bool IParsable<PhysicalAddress>.TryParse(string? s, IFormatProvider? provider, out PhysicalAddress? result);
+    public static bool ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.TryParse(ReadOnlySpan<char> s, IFormatProvider? provider, out PhysicalAddress? result);

+    public static PhysicalAddress IParsable<PhysicalAddress>.Parse(string s, IFormatProvider? provider);
+    public static PhysicalAddress ISpanParsable<PhysicalAddress>.Parse(ReadOnlySpan<char> s, IFormatProvider? provider);

    // IFormattable, can delegate to existing ToString(). format and provider would be explicitly ignored I presume.
+    public string IFormattable.ToString(string? format, IFormatProvider? formatProvider);

    // ISpanFormattable
    // Has no existing overloads to delegate to, should they be publicly provided like IPAddress?
+    public bool ISpanFormattable.TryFormat(Span<char> destination, out int charsWritten, ReadOnlySpan<char> format, IFormatProvider? provider);
    // e.g. Should we provide a following simpler overload like the convention used in IPAddress?
+    public bool TryFormat(Span<char> destination, out int charsWritten);
}

API Usage

PhysicalAddress physicalAddress = ...;
string s = $"The address is {physicalAddress}";

Alternative Designs

Could also just implement IFormattable and IParsable.

Risks

No response

Author:	PaulusParssinen
Assignees:	-
Labels:	api-suggestion, area-System.Net, untriaged
Milestone:	-

[CarnaViire]

Triage: putting to Future for now as there doesn't seem to be much customer ask