Clarification on String Literal based on Java Language Specification

Question

It is mentioned in the Java Language specification

A string literal is always of type String (§4.3.3). It is a compile-time error for a line terminator to appear after the opening " and before the closing matching ".

As specified in §3.4, the characters CR and LF are never an InputCharacter; each is recognized as constituting a LineTerminator.

But I can create and run the following statement

 public class StringOperation {
        public static void main(String ...args){
            String first = "\n";
            System.out.println(first);
        }

    }

and I do not see any error. Thanks for all insight.

torquestomp · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-08 22:21:32Z

7

The syntax "\n" is a valid, escaped representation of a line terminator, instead of an actual line terminator. The JLS precludes you from doing something like this:

String alphabet = "abcdefghijklm
   nopqrstuvwxyz";

Instead, you have to do:

String alphabet = "abcdefghijklm" +
    "nopqrstuvwxyz";

answered Dec 8, 2013 at 22:21

torquestomp

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Sinkingpoint · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-08 22:21:59Z

3

What this is referring to is an actual line break is not allowed in your String:

String first = "

";

does not compile. \n is a perfectly valid escaped line break not an actual one.

answered Dec 8, 2013 at 22:21

Sinkingpoint

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