String Data Type in Java

The string is a referenced data type in Java and it is also a predefined class created by SUN. It is available in java.lang package in java.base module.

The string data type in Java is used for representing a sequence of characters placed in double quotation marks (""). It means for storing a sequence of characters as one group we must create a String class type referenced variable.

Range of String data type:- There is no limitation on size. We can store any number of characters.
The default value of String data type:- null
Size of String data type:- 2 * number of characters

---

Java string literal

Any sequence of characters in the double quote is treated as a string literal.

String s1 = "KnowProgram";  
// valid, it is a string

String s2 = KnowProgram;
// invalid, it is not a string 
// it must be enclosed in double quotation

If we use a sequence of characters directly in a program compiler will not treat it as a string and it will throw an error. So, to tell compiler and JVM to treat a sequence of characters as a string we must place them inside double quotation mark ("").

Inside double quotation mark ("") we can write 0 to n characters. So, the empty string is also allowed.

String s3 = ""; // valid
String s4 = " "; // valid, white space
String s5 = "Bike Numer 9854"; // valid

---

Can we use the user-defined class name as String?

We are allowed to create our own class with the name string. If we create our own class with name String then to access pre-defined String class we must use the package name also.

//Test.java
 class String{}

 class Program{
     public static void main(String[] args){
         System.out.println("Hello, World!");
     }
 }

>javac Test.java
It creates two files String.class and Program.class

>java Program
error: Main method not found in class Program

Why this error comes?

To find this answer we should know how compilation and execution are done in Test.java file. The compilation is done successfully because of no syntax and grammar mistakes. Execution starts in Program. The class due to the command java Program.

The first line is class Program, the class is a keyword and the program is an identifier so no logical error is there. Now, JVM goes for second-line public static void main(String[] args). The public and static are a keyword, the void is return type, main is an identifier. Finally, JVM searches for String.

JVM always searches for any identifier, first in the current main method, then in the current class, after that in the current Java file, then-current folder, if not found then it goes to Java software file (Java\lang).

Here JVM found identifier “String” as a class in the current Java file. So, the second line is not the main method. The syntax of the second line looks like the main method but it is not actually the main method. Here, the String class is user-defined. So, JVM stops execution and gives an exception that the main method not found.

This error comes because in this Program class main method with the parameter is not java.lang.String, it is our user=defined class String. To execute Program class we must use String class name with package name as java.lang.String.

//Test.java
 class String{}

 class Program{
     public static void main(java.lang.String[] args){
         System.out.println("Hello, World!");
     }
 }

>javac Test.java
>java Program
Hello, World!

---

Examples of String

If we want to display a single quote or double quote, we can not directly use a single quote in a single quote and double quote in double quote. We will get a compile-time error.

class Test{
     public static void main(String[] args) {

         System.out.println(""""); 
         // error: ')' expected

         System.out.println('''); 
         // error: empty character literal
     }
 }

In this case, we must use the escape sequence character as shown below:-

class Test{
     public static void main(String[] args) {
         System.out.println('\'');
         System.out.println("\'KnowProgram\'");
         System.out.println("\"\"");
         System.out.println("\"KnowProgram\"");
     }
 }

> javac Test.java
> java Test
‘
‘KnowProgram’
“”
“KnowProgram”

If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends. Do you want to share more information about the topic discussed above or do you find anything incorrect? Let us know in the comments. Thank you!

Search