Thread: Having Java output in Tabular Format

How can I have my Java Output be in a Tabular Formating?

Can you describe a bit more about what you're trying to do? Are you outputing to a command line terminal? A web page? A papyrus? Help us help you.

I had no idea myself. So I went to the Javadoc to learn more. That redirected me to the dialog tutorial. Running that showed a nice example that had things in columns and included some source code.

Use the Javadoc Luke.

Originally Posted by stdunbar

I had no idea myself. So I went to the Javadoc to learn more. That redirected me to the dialog tutorial. Running that showed a nice example that had things in columns and included some source code.

Use the Javadoc Luke.

I don't see the Javadoc Luke you are referencing. I am browsing the site now, and am lost

Sorry - lame attempt at a joke. Look at the second and third links. They have example code to help you display things in columns.

I am looking at the 2nd link, and haven't seen anything yet, but I did just notice that there was a "Next" option at the bottom of the page, so I am scrolling throu the pages searching for it!

Originally Posted by jo15765

I am looking at the 2nd link, and haven't seen anything yet, but I did just notice that there was a "Next" option at the bottom of the page, so I am scrolling throu the pages searching for it!

Okay still not seeing anything? Am I just blind?

Did you run the demo? If so, did you see that on the "Dialog Icons" tab there is tabular data? With that, did you look at the source code? And did you happen to see the method create2ColPane?

I doubt you're blind You're in a hurry for the simple answer. Ultimately you need a GridLayout.

printf() and StringBuilder are both useful for assembling and formatting textual output.

I googled StringBuilder earlier, but the examples I saw didn't really fit my specifications (or at least to my understanding didnt). I will google printf() now and see if I can find something like that. Thank you for the response

So if I am understanding printf() properly, I set the length for my variables, correct? So would this syntax work:

   StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
   // Send all output to the Appendable object sb
   Formatter formatter = new Formatter(sb, Locale.US);
 
   // Explicit argument indices may be used to re-order output.
   formatter.format("%1$0s %1$0s %1$0s %1$0s", "customerInput1", "customerInput2", "answer1", "answer2")
   // -> " answer2  answer1 customerInput2  customerInput1"

I don't think you need those $ things in the format string unless you do want to have the output in a different order from that of the arguments (or want to reuse arguments). If you do want that then there has to be different number in front of the $ as in the example on the Formatter API page.

The columns are controlled by the numbers in front of the s element: these determine the width of the string and columns emerge if the same format is used on each line. In code it looks like:

 
public class PrintfEg {
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String fmt = "%-7s %-12s %s%n";
 
        System.out.printf(fmt, "First", "Some text", "goes here");
        System.out.printf(fmt, "Second", "Short", "strings");
        System.out.printf(fmt, "Third", "Longer text", "goes here");
        System.out.printf(fmt, "Last", "Some text", "goes here");
    }
}

Notice how negative numbers are used to indicate left aligning.

The StringBuilder comes into play if you want to accumulate all the strings into one long one. There is an example of how to use StringBuilder on the Formatter API page as well.

I tried to tweak that code slightly and it didn't work

        String fmt = "%-7s %-7s % -7s %s%n";
 
        System.out.printf(fmt, userinput1, "+", userinput2, total);

That's the code I was just trying to test....everything except the Plus sign is a variable. Userinput1 and 2 are of course input by the user and in int formatting. Total as you can see is the sum of UI1 + UI2 and is also in int format. Using javac it compiled fine, but when I actually try to run the program I get this:

Exception in thread "main" java.util.FormatFlagsConversionMismatchException: Con
version = s, Flags =
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.failMismatch(U nknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.checkBadFlags( Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.checkGeneral(U nknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter.parse(Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter.format(Unknown Source)
at java.io.PrintStream.format(Unknown Source)
at java.io.PrintStream.printf(Unknown Source)
at CodeTest.main(Code.java:43)

Look at your post describing what you wanted to do. Is it misaligned on your screen? If it is it is because it isn't a fixed width font.

System.out is most likely going to use fixed width fonts on your system. Now you have to use fixed fonts in your UI so that the space characters take up the same amount of space as the "real" characters.

Okay you lost me on your post, I don't understand what you mean?

Exception in thread "main" java.util.FormatFlagsConversionMismatchException: Con
version = s, Flags =
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.failMismatch(U nknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.checkBadFlags( Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.checkGeneral(U nknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter$FormatSpecifier.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter.parse(Unknown Source)
at java.util.Formatter.format(Unknown Source)
at java.io.PrintStream.format(Unknown Source)
at java.io.PrintStream.printf(Unknown Source)
at CodeTest.main(Code.java:43)

The runtime is complaining about the stray space you have on line 43. (after the third percentage sign)