Is "%n" correct as a newline using printf in Java?

Question

I'm new to Java and I'm at my wits' end.

I have got my program to work, but I need help with the formatting when printing out.

if(count == 3)
    System.out.printf ("%-15s %15s %15s %15s %15s %n", n, " is compatible with ",dates[k],dates[k+1],dates[k+2]);

My output is:

Stacey Francis   is compatible with     Owen Farrell   Jack Clifford  Joshua Watkins

I would like my output to be (without repeating stacey francis name or "is compatible with":

Stacey Francis   is compatible with  Owen Farrell
                                 
                          Jack Clifford
                                 
                          Joshua Watkins

Just wondering how to go about this?

score 23 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 22 '12 at 10:38

Yes, %n is a newline in printf. See the documentation of java.util.Formatter, specifically the conversion table which specifies:

'n' line separator The result is the platform-specific line separator

Your output currently only has a linebreak at the end, not at the points that you seem to want them. You would need to use a format like:

"%-15s %15s %15s %n %15s %n %15s %n"

(and maybe some tabs thrown in there for alignment).

Rohit Jain · Answer 2 · 2012-11-22T10:54:44.310

11

%n should have worked. But the problem is, you have just used it at the end in your format string. You need to insert it at appropriate places: -

"%-15s %15s %15s %n %45s %n %45s"

You can also use "\n" between your format specifiers to print a newline: -

System.out.printf ("%-15s %15s %15s \n %45s \n %45s", 
                     n, " is compatible with ", dates[k],dates[k+1],dates[k+2]);

Also, I have increased the length of last two names from 15 to 45, to format them just below the previous names.

edited Nov 22 '12 at 10:54

answered Nov 22 '12 at 10:33

Rohit Jain

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Doesn't `%n` tell the compiler to go to `System.getProperty("line.separator")` which supposed to be a new line? – Maroun Nov 22 '12 at 10:38
Hey Rohit, I tried and it doesn't even print out her name or who she is compatible with at all. – Beth Ann Meredith Nov 22 '12 at 10:39
1

@Maroun85.. Yeah you are right. Forgot that. Re-checked the OP to get what exactly he got wrong. Thanks :) – Rohit Jain Nov 22 '12 at 10:43
@BethAnnMeredith.. I think it should work. Can you post what you tried? May be you missed somthing. – Rohit Jain Nov 22 '12 at 10:43
@BethAnnMeredith.. Do remember to mark the answer as accepted by clicking the arrow besides it. – Rohit Jain Nov 22 '12 at 10:52
Don't use \n, %n is safer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/31981167/11211041 – Snostorp Apr 02 '23 at 08:36

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 05 '23 at 16:08

0

You can try this:

if (count == 3) {
    System.out.printf("%-15s %15s %15s %15s %15s %n", n, " is compatible with",
            dates[k],dates[k+1],dates[k+2]+"\n");
}

edited Apr 05 '23 at 16:08

Ola Ström

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answered Nov 22 '12 at 10:38

Srinivas B

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Is "%n" correct as a newline using printf in Java?

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