Need to change str from sql query to currency - mysql

Question

How can I get the productPrice below to show as $7.99 etc.? I've tried everything I can find. It is small money in db table. Thanks.
Protected Sub printMenuBlock(ByVal productName As String)
'Set up variable storing the product and pull from databse
Dim product = ReadProduct(productName)
'Add necessary markup to str variable, with products information within
For i As Integer = 0 To product.Count - 1
str += "<div class='menuItem'>"
'str += " <img alt='Item Picture' class='itemPicture' src='" + product(i).ImagePath.Substring(3).Replace("\", "/") + "' />"
str += " <div class='itemInfo'>"
str += " <h1 class='itemName'>"
str += " " + product(i).Item("ProductName") + "</h1>"
'str += " <h3 class='itemDescription'>"
str += " " + product(i).Item("ProductDescription")
str += " <h1 class ='itemPrice'>"
str += " " + String.Format("{0:C}", product(i).Item("ProductPrice")) + "</h1>"
str += " "
str += " </div>"
str += " </div>"
Next
This is code from interaction class:
Public Class Interaction
' New instance of the Sql command object
Private cmdSelect As New SqlCommand
' Instance of the Connection class
Private conIn As New Connection
Region "Menu functions and subs"
' Set up the SQL statement for finding a Product by ProductCat
Private Sub GetProduct(ByVal CatIn As String)
' SQL String
Dim strSelect As String
strSelect = "SELECT * "
strSelect &= " FROM Menu "
'strSelect &= " WHERE ProductCat = #CatIn"
strSelect &= "ORDER BY 'ProductCat'"
' Set up the connection to the datebase
cmdSelect.Connection = conIn.Connect
' Add the SQL string to the connection
cmdSelect.CommandText = strSelect
' Add the parameters to the connection
cmdSelect.Parameters.Add("#CatIn", SqlDbType.NVarChar).Value = CatIn
End Sub
'Function to create list of rows and columns
Public Function ReadProduct(ByVal CatIn As String) As List(Of Dictionary(Of String, Object))
'Declare variable to hold list
Dim ReturnProducts As New List(Of Dictionary(Of String, Object))
Try
Call GetProduct(CatIn)
Dim dbr As SqlDataReader
' Execute the created SQL command from GetProduct and set to the SqlDataReader object
dbr = cmdSelect.ExecuteReader
'Get number of columns in current row
Dim FieldCount = dbr.FieldCount()
Dim ColumnList As New List(Of String)
'Loop through all columns and add to list
For i As Integer = 0 To FieldCount - 1
ColumnList.Add(dbr.GetName(i))
Next
While dbr.Read()
'Declare variable to hold list
Dim ReturnProduct As New Dictionary(Of String, Object)
'Loop through all rows and add to list
For i As Integer = 0 To FieldCount - 1
ReturnProduct.Add(ColumnList(i), dbr.GetValue(i).ToString())
Next
'Add to final list
ReturnProducts.Add(ReturnProduct)
End While
cmdSelect.Parameters.Clear()
'Close connection
dbr.Close()
Catch ex As SqlException
Dim strOut As String
strOut = ex.Message
Console.WriteLine(strOut)
End Try
' Return the Product object
Return ReturnProducts
End Function

Answer 1

Try using
+ String.Format("{0:C}", product(i).Item("ProductPrice")) +
P.S. You may want to use StringBuilder for these kinds of constructs.