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Java Java Basics Getting Started with Java IO

Robert Zaharia
PLUS
Robert Zaharia
Courses Plus Student 579 Points

Hi ! How can i display a message "First name: " followed by first name that the use has entered?

String firstName = console.readLine("What is your name ? "); String lastName = console.readLine("What is your last name ? "); console.printf("First name: ...

IO.java
// I have imported java.io.Console for you.  It is a variable called console.
String firstName = console.readLine("What is your name ?  ");
String lastName = console.readLine("What is your last name ?  ");
console.printf("First name: ...

1 Answer

Hi Robert,

The printf method allows for string formatting to happen (that's the 'f' bit!). There are numerous formatters you can use, but strings are formatted into your output string (yes, I kow that's odd) by using the %s placeholder. This means that wherever you place a %s in your coded string, you can pass in a string variable whose value will be placed right there.

Here, we have the string "First name is: " and you want the value of firstName put there. So, use %s like this:

console.printf("First name: %s", firstName);

So, where you put the %s in your output string, the value held by the variable you pass in after the string will be inserted at that position. So, firstName is inserted where the %s is placed inside the printf output.

Make sense?

Steve.