Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
Format specifiers begin with a percent character (%) and terminate with a "type character, " which indicates the type of data (int, float, etc.) that will be converted the basic manner in which the data will be represented (decimal, hexadecimal, etc.) The general syntax of a format specifier is
% [flags] [width] [.precision] [argsize] typechar
The format() method of Formatter class accepts a wide variety of format specifiers. When an uppercase specifier is used, then letters are shown in uppercase. Otherwise, the upper- and lowercase specifiers perform the same conversion.
Formatter().format("% d", -111); Formatter().format("% d", 111); Output: -111 111
Example:
JAVA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the space format specifier
import java.util.*;
class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// Use Space format specifier
formatter.format("%d", -111);
System.out.println(formatter);
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("% d", 111);
System.out.println(formatter);
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("% d", -222);
System.out.println(formatter);
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("% d", 222);
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
Output:
-111 111 -222 222
Formatter().format("%+d", 111); Output: +111
Example:
JAVA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the + sign Specifier format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// + sign specifier
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%+d", 111);
System.out.println(formatter);
// + sign specifier
// on - sign, it will have no effect
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%+d", -111);
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
Formatter().format("%(d", -111); Formatter().format("%(d", 111); Output: (111) 111
Example:
JAVA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the ( Specifiers format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// ( Specifier
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%(d", -111);
System.out.println(formatter);
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%(d", 111);
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
Formatter().format("%, d", 1000000); Output: 1, 000, 000
Example:
JAVA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the comma format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// comma Specifier
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%, d", 1000000);
System.out.println(formatter);
// comma Specifier
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%, .3f", 32659526566.4521);
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
Output:
1, 000, 000 32, 659, 526, 566.452
Formatter().format("|%-20.4f|", 1234.1234); Output: | 1234.1234| |1234.1234 |
Example:
JAVA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the left justification format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// right justify by default
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("|%20.4f|", 1234.1234);
System.out.println(formatter);
// left justify
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("|%-20.4f|", 1234.1234);
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
Output:
| 1234.1234| |1234.1234 |
// Java program to demonstrate
// the newline %n format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// newline format specifier
formatter.format("Geeks %nFor %nGeeks");
// Print the output
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
// Java program to demonstrate
// the %% format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// %% format specifier
formatter.format("10 %% 4 = 2");
// Print the output
System.out.println(formatter);
}
}
// Java program to demonstrate
// the integer-Hexadecimal %x and %X
// format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// %x format specifier
// It prints the number in Hexadecimal
// with lowercase alphabets
formatter.format("%x", 250);
// Print the output
System.out.println("LowerCase Hexadecimal"
+ " using %x: "
+ formatter);
// %X format specifier
// It prints the number in Hexadecimal
// with uppercase alphabets
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%X", 250);
// Print the output
System.out.println("UpperCase Hexadecimal"
+ " using %X: "
+ formatter);
}
}
Output:
LowerCase Hexadecimal using %x: fa UpperCase Hexadecimal using %X: FA
// Java program to demonstrate
// the Scientific Notation %e and %E
// format specifiers.
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// create Formatter class object
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// %e format specifier
// It prints the number in Scientific Notation
// with lowercase alphabets
formatter.format("%e", 123.1234);
// Print the output
System.out.println("LowerCase Scientific Notation"
+ " using %e: "
+ formatter);
// %E format specifier
// It prints the number in Scientific Notation
// with uppercase alphabets
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%E", 123.1234);
// Print the output
System.out.println("UpperCase Scientific Notation"
+ " using %E: "
+ formatter);
}
}
Output:
LowerCase Scientific Notation using %e: 1.231234e+02 UpperCase Scientific Notation using %E: 1.231234E+02
// Java program to demonstrate
// Precision Format specifiers
import java.util.Formatter;
public class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Create the Formatter instance
Formatter formatter = new Formatter();
// added floating-point data
// using the %f or %e specifiers,
// Format to 2 decimal places
// in a 16 character field.
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%16.2e", 123.1234567);
System.out.println("Scientific notation to 2 places: "
+ formatter);
// Format 4 decimal places.
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%.4f", 123.1234567);
System.out.println("Decimal floating-point"
+ " notation to 4 places: "
+ formatter);
// Format 4 places.
// The %g format specifier causes Formatter
// to use either %f or %e, whichever is shorter
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%.4g", 123.1234567);
System.out.println("Scientific or Decimal floating-point "
+ "notation to 4 places: "
+ formatter);
// Display at most 15 characters in a string.
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%.15s", "12345678901234567890");
System.out.println("String notation to 15 places: "
+ formatter);
// Format into 10 digit
formatter = new Formatter();
formatter.format("%010d", 88);
System.out.println("value in 10 digits: "
+ formatter);
}
}
Output:
Scientific notation to 2 places: 1.23e+02 Decimal floating-point notation to 4 places: 123.1235 Scientific or Decimal floating-point notation to 4 places: 123.1 String notation to 15 places: 123456789012345 value in 10 digits: 0000000088
Related Article : Format Specifiers in C
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