Variable widths in Java's String.format method

Question

I'm working on a project in which I need to display textual trees. I'm trying to use Java's String.format method to simplify the formatting process, but I ran into trouble when trying to apply variable widths.

Current I have a variable (an int) which is called depth.

I try to do the following:

String.format("%"+depth+"s"," ") + getOriginalText() + "\n";

However I get the following error.

java.util.FormatFlagsConversionMismatchException: Conversion = s, Flags = 0

Any suggestions on how to do this, or should I just settle for loops?

Thanks for the help!

Are you actually asking this? stackoverflow.com/questions/388461/… — billjamesdev
– billjamesdev, Commented Dec 9, 2012 at 6:09
Can you post the full code, I'm trying to understand what are you doing. — ElderMael
– ElderMael, Commented Dec 9, 2012 at 6:14
I wondered this also because I knew that C/C++ had a * modifier: The width is not specified in the format string, but as an additional integer value argument preceding the argument that has to be formatted., i.e. I was searching for something like String.format( "%*i", pad_width, number ). But the given answer makes sense, too. — mxmlnkn
– mxmlnkn, Commented Jul 27, 2016 at 11:54

Yogendra Singh · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-09 06:29:27Z

12

This works:

int depth = 5;
String str= "Hello"+ String.format("%"+depth+"s"," ") + "world" + "\n";
System.out.println(str);

It prints 5 while spaces in between.

Hello World.

Please check you code and make sure that depth is assigned with a valid int value. Most likely that (invalid value in depth) is the problem.

answered Dec 9, 2012 at 6:29

Yogendra Singh

34.5k7 gold badges66 silver badges73 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

Phillip Huff Over a year ago

That makes sense. I had a massive lapse in thought I guess. I forgot that I pass zero for depth for the first call, and "%0s" is an error.

Yogendra Singh Over a year ago

@PhillipHuff: Good to know. If you feel, this is helpful then don't forget to accept the answer.

sam · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-31 15:54:06Z

1

You could try the following using "System.out.printf" command:

int depth = 10;

System.out.printf("%s" + "%" +depth + "s", "Hello","World" );

Hello World

edited Dec 31, 2019 at 15:54

answered Dec 31, 2019 at 15:48

sam

9116 silver badges13 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Variable widths in Java's String.format method

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

2 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related