Here's the problem. This code:
String a = "0000";
System.out.println(a);
char[] b = a.toCharArray();
System.out.println(b);
returns
0000
0000
But this code:
String a = "0000";
System.out.println("String a: " + a);
char[] b = a.toCharArray();
System.out.println("char[] b: " + b);
returns
String a: 0000
char[] b: [C@56e5b723
What in the world is going on? Seems there should be a simple enough solution, but I can't seem to figure it out.
When you say
System.out.println(b);
It results in a call to print(char[] s)
then println()
The JavaDoc for print(char[] s)
says:
Print an array of characters. The characters are converted into bytes
according to the platform's default character encoding, and these
bytes are written in exactly the manner of the write(int) method.
So it performs a byte-by-byte print out.
When you say
System.out.println("char[] b: " + b);
It results in a call to print(String)
, and so what you're actually doing is appending to a String
an Object
which invokes toString()
on the Object
-- this, as with all Object
by default, and in the case of an Array
, prints the value of the reference (the memory address).
You could do:
System.out.println("char[] b: " + new String(b));
Note that this is "wrong" in the sense that you're not paying any mind to encoding and are using the system default. Learn about encoding sooner rather than later.
System.out.println("char[] b: " + b);
This is just like
System.out.println(("char[] b: " + b.toString());
You can look up "Object.toString()"
Use
System.out.println("char[] b: " + Arrays.toString(b));
The gibrish you get is the Class name followed by the memory address of the object. Problem occurs when you try to append b with a string char[] b:
in this case the char array b.toString() method is called thus [C@56e5b723 is printed.
[ indicates that it is an array
C indicates the class in this case char
@56e5b723 indicates the memory location
An array's toString()
method (which is what's called when you do "..." + b
) is only meant to give debugging output. There isn't a special case where a char[]
's toString()
will give you the original string - arrays of all types have the same toString()
implementation.
If you want to get the original string from the char array, use:
String a2 = new String(b);
Use
3:e row!
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
char[] txt = input.next().toCharArray();
System.out.println((char[])txt);