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| Chapter 16 The java.text Package |

# NumberFormat

## Name

NumberFormat

## Synopsis

Class Name:

  `java.text.NumberFormat`

Superclass:

  `java.text.Format`

Immediate Subclasses:

  `java.text.ChoiceFormat`, `java.text.DecimalFormat`

Interfaces Implemented:

  `java.lang.Cloneable`

Availability:

  New as of JDK 1.1

## Description

The `NumberFormat` class formats and parses numbers in a locale-specific manner. NumberFormat is an abstract class, but it provides factory methods that return useful instances of NumberFormat subclasses. These factory methods come in three groups:

- The `getCurrencyInstance()` methods return objects that format and parse currency values.

- The `getNumberInstance()` methods return objects that format and parse normal numbers.

- The `getPercentInstance()` methods return objects that format percentage values.

For example, to format a number as an Italian currency value, you can use this code:

    double salary = 1234.56;
    System.out.println
      (NumberFormat.getCurrencyInstance(Locale.ITALY).format(salary));

This produces the following output:

    L 1.234,56

The `NumberFormat` class defines two field constants that represent the integer and fractional fields in a formatted number. These field constants create `FieldPosition` objects.

## Class Summary

    public abstract class java.text.NumberFormat extends java.text.Format
                          implements java.lang.Cloneable {
      // Constants
      public static final int FRACTION_FIELD;
      public static final int INTEGER_FIELD;
      // Class Methods
      public static Locale[] getAvailableLocales();
      public static final NumberFormat getCurrencyInstance();
      public static NumberFormat getCurrencyInstance(Locale inLocale);
      public static final NumberFormat getInstance();
      public static NumberFormat getInstance(Locale inLocale);
      public static final NumberFormat getNumberInstance();
      public static NumberFormat getNumberInstance(Locale inLocale);
      public static final NumberFormat getPercentInstance();
      public static NumberFormat getPercentInstance(Locale inLocale);
      // Instance Methods
      public Object clone();
      public boolean equals(Object obj);
      public final String format(double number);
      public final String format(long number);
      public final StringBuffer format(Object number, StringBuffer toAppendTo,
                                FieldPosition pos);
      public abstract StringBuffer format(double number,
                                   StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos);
      public abstract StringBuffer format(long number, StringBuffer toAppendTo,
                                   FieldPosition pos);
      public int getMaximumFractionDigits();
      public int getMaximumIntegerDigits();
      public int getMinimumFractionDigits();
      public int getMinimumIntegerDigits();
      public int hashCode();
      public boolean isGroupingUsed();
      public boolean isParseIntegerOnly();
      public Number parse(String text);
      public abstract Number parse(String text, ParsePosition parsePosition);
      public final Object parseObject(String source,
                          ParsePosition parsePosition);
      public void setGroupingUsed(boolean newValue);
      public void setMaximumFractionDigits(int newValue);
      public void setMaximumIntegerDigits(int newValue);
      public void setMinimumFractionDigits(int newValue);
      public void setMinimumIntegerDigits(int newValue);
      public void setParseIntegerOnly(boolean value);
    }

## Constants

### FRACTION_FIELD

#### public final static int FRACTION_FIELD

Description

  A field constant that represents the fractional part of the number.

### INTEGER_FIELD

#### public final static int INTEGER_FIELD

Description

  A field constant that represents the integer part of the number.

## Class Methods

### getAvailableLocales

#### public static Locale[] getAvailableLocales()

Returns

  An array of `Locale` objects.

Description

  This method returns an array of the `Locale` objects for which this class can create `NumberFormat` objects.

### getCurrencyInstance

#### public static final NumberFormat getCurrencyInstance()

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the default `Locale` that formats currency values.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses currency values in the default locale.

#### public static NumberFormat getCurrencyInstance(Locale inLocale)

Parameters

  `inLocale`

    The `Locale` to use.

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the given `Locale` that formats currency values.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses currency values in the given locale.

### getInstance

#### public static final NumberFormat getInstance()

Returns

  A default `NumberFormat` appropriate for the default `Locale`.

Description

  This method creates a default `NumberFormat` that formats and parses values in the default locale.

#### public static NumberFormat getInstance(Locale inLocale)

Parameters

  `inLocale`

    The `Locale` to use.

Returns

  A default `NumberFormat` appropriate for the given `Locale`.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses values in the given locale.

### getNumberInstance

#### public static final NumberFormat getNumberInstance()

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the default `Locale` that formats normal numbers.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses number values in the default locale.

#### public static NumberFormat getNumberInstance(Locale inLocale)

Parameters

  `inLocale`

    The `Locale` to use.

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the given `Locale` that formats normal numbers.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses number values in the given locale.

### getPercentInstance

#### public static final NumberFormat getPercentInstance()

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the default `Locale` that formats percentage values.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses percent values in the default locale.

#### public static NumberFormat getPercentInstance(Locale inLocale)

Parameters

  `inLocale`

    The `Locale` to use.

Returns

  A `NumberFormat` appropriate for the given `Locale` that formats percentage values.

Description

  This method creates a `NumberFormat` that formats and parses percent values in the given locale.

## Instance Methods

### clone

#### public Object clone()

Returns

  A copy of this `NumberFormat`.

Overrides

  `Format.clone()`

Description

  This method creates a copy of this `NumberFormat` and returns it.

### equals

#### public boolean equals(Object obj)

Parameters

  `obj`

    The object to be compared with this object.

Returns

  `true` if the objects are equal; `false` if they are not.

Overrides

  `Object.equals()`

Description

  This method returns `true` if `obj` is an instance of `NumberFormat` and is equivalent to this `NumberFormat`.

### format

#### public final String format(double number)

Parameters

  `number`

    The `double` value to be formatted.

Returns

  A string that contains a formatted representation of the value.

Description

  This method formats the given number and returns the result as a string.

#### public final String format(long number)

Parameters

  `number`

    The `long` value to be formatted.

Returns

  A string that contains a formatted representation of the value.

Description

  This method formats the given number and returns the result as a string.

####

     public final StringBuffer format(Object number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos)

Parameters

  `number`

    The object to be formatted.

  `toAppendTo`

    A `StringBuffer` on which to append the formatted information.

  `pos`

    A number field.

Returns

  The given buffer `toAppendTo` with the formatted representation of the object appended to it.

Overrides

  `Format.format(Object, StringBuffer, FieldPosition)`

Description

  This method formats the given object and appends the result to the given `StringBuffer`. If `pos` refers to one of the number fields, its beginning and ending indices are filled with the beginning and ending positions of the given field in the resulting formatted string.

####

     public abstract StringBuffer format(double number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos)

Parameters

  `number`

    The `double` value to be formatted.

  `toAppendTo`

    A `StringBuffer` on which to append the formatted information.

  `pos`

    A number field.

Returns

  The given buffer `toAppendTo` with the formatted representation of the object appended to it.

Description

  This method formats the given number and appends the result to the given `StringBuffer`. If `pos` refers to one of the number fields, its beginning and ending indices are filled with the beginning and ending positions of the given field in the resulting formatted string.

####

     public abstract StringBuffer format(long number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos)

Parameters

  `number`

    The `long` value to be formatted.

  `toAppendTo`

    A `StringBuffer` on which to append the formatted information.

  `pos`

    A number field.

Returns

  The given buffer `toAppendTo` with the formatted representation of the object appended to it.

Description

  This method formats the given number and appends the result to the given `StringBuffer`. If `pos` refers to one of the number fields, its beginning and ending indices are filled with the beginning and ending positions of the given field in the resulting formatted string.

### getMaximumFractionDigits

#### public int getMaximumFractionDigits()

Returns

  The maximum number of digits allowed in the fraction portion.

Description

  This method returns the maximum number of digits that can be in the fraction part of the number.

### getMaximumIntegerDigits

#### public int getMaximumIntegerDigits()

Returns

  The maximum number of digits allowed in the integer portion.

Description

  This method returns the maximum number of digits that can be in the integer part of the number.

### getMinimumFractionDigits

#### public int getMinimumFractionDigits()

Returns

  The minimum number of digits allowed in the fraction portion.

Description

  This method returns the minimum number of digits that can be in the fraction part of the number.

### getMinimumIntegerDigits

#### public int getMinimumIntegerDigits()

Returns

  The minimum number of digits allowed in the integer portion.

Description

  This method returns the minimum number of digits that can be in the integer part of the number.

### hashCode

#### public int hashCode()

Returns

  A hashcode for this object.

Overrides

  `Object.hashCode()`

Description

  This method returns a hashcode for this `NumberFormat`.

### isGroupingUsed

#### public boolean isGroupingUsed()

Returns

  A `boolean` value that indicates whether or not this `NumberFormat` uses a grouping character to break up long sequences of digits in the integer part of a number.

Description

  This method returns `true` if this `NumberFormat` uses a grouping character. For example, it is common in the United States to use a comma as a grouping character: `1,234.56`.

### isParseIntegerOnly

#### public boolean isParseIntegerOnly()

Returns

  A `boolean` value that indicates whether or not this `NumberFormat` parses only integers.

Description

  This method returns `true` if this `NumberFormat` parses only integers.

### parse

#### public Number parse(String text) throws ParseException

Parameters

  `text`

    The string to be parsed.

Returns

  The `Number` object represented by the given string.

Throws

  `ParseException`

    If the text cannot be parsed as a number.

Description

  This method parses a number from the given string, starting from the beginning of the string.

####

     public abstract Number parse(String text, ParsePosition parsePosition)

Parameters

  `text`

    The string to be parsed.

  `parsePosition`

    A `ParsePosition` object that specifies a position in the string.

Returns

  The `Number` object represented by the text starting at the given position.

Description

  This method parses a number from the given string, starting from the given position. After the string has been parsed, the given `ParsePosition` object is updated so that its index is after the parsed text.

### parseObject

####

     public final Object parseObject(String source, ParsePosition parsePosition)

Parameters

  `source`

    The string to be parsed.

  `parsePosition`

    A `ParsePosition` object that specifies a position in the string.

Returns

  The object represented by the text starting at the given position.

Overrides

  `Format.parseObject(String, ParsePosition)`

Description

  This method parses a number from the given string, starting from the given position. After the string has been parsed, the given `ParsePosition` object is updated so that its index is after the parsed text.

### setGroupingUsed

#### public void setGroupingUsed(boolean newValue)

Parameters

  `newValue`

    The new grouping flag.

Description

  This method sets whether or not this `NumberFormat` uses a grouping character to break up long sequences of digits in the integer part of a number. For example, it is common in the United States to use a comma as a grouping character: `1,234.56`.

### setMaximumFractionDigits

#### public void setMaximumFractionDigits(int newValue)

Parameters

  `newValue`

    The new maximum number of fraction digits.

Description

  This method sets the maximum number of digits that may be present in the fraction part of the number. The maximum value must be greater than the minimum number of fraction digits allowed. If the value is less than the current minimum, the minimum is also set to this value.

### setMaximumIntegerDigits

#### public void setMaximumIntegerDigits(int newValue)

Parameters

  `newValue`

    The new maximum number of integer digits.

Description

  This method sets the maximum number of digits that may be present in the integer part of the number. The maximum value must be greater than the minimum number of integer digits allowed. If the value is less than the current minimum, the minimum is also set to this value.

### setMinimumFractionDigits

#### public void setMinimumFractionDigits(int newValue)

Parameters

  `newValue`

    The new minimum number of fraction digits.

Description

  This method sets the minimum number of digits that may be present in the fraction part of the number. The minimum value must be less than the maximum number of fraction digits allowed. If the value is greater than the current maximum, the maximum is also set to this value.

### setMinimumIntegerDigits

#### public void setMinimumIntegerDigits(int newValue)

Parameters

  `newValue`

    The new minimum number of integer digits.

Description

  This method sets the minimum number of digits that may be present in the integer part of the number. The minimum value must be less than the maximum number of integer digits allowed. If the value is greater than the current maximum, the maximum is also set to this value.

### setParseIntegerOnly

#### public void setParseIntegerOnly(boolean value)

Parameters

  `value`

    The new parsing flag.

Description

  This method sets whether or not this `NumberFormat` parses only integers. If the value is `true`, this `NumberFormat` only parse integers. Otherwise it parses both the integer and fractional parts of numbers.

## Inherited Methods

Method | Inherited From | Method | Inherited From
--- | --- | --- | ---
`finalize()` | `Object` | `format(Object)` | `Format`
`getClass()` | `Object` | `notify()` | `Object`
`notifyAll()` | `Object` | `parseObject(String)` | `Format`
`toString()` | `Object` | `wait()` | `Object`
`wait(long)` | `Object` | `wait(long, int)` | `Object`

## See Also

`ChoiceFormat`, `DecimalFormat`, `FieldPosition`, `Format`, `Number`, `ParseException`, `ParsePosition`, `String`, `StringBuffer`

MessageFormat |  | ParseException