JavaTM 2 Platform
Standard Edition

java.text
Class ChoiceFormat

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--java.text.Format
        |
        +--java.text.NumberFormat
              |
              +--java.text.ChoiceFormat

public class ChoiceFormat
extends NumberFormat

A ChoiceFormat allows you to attach a format to a range of numbers. It is generally used in a MessageFormat for handling plurals. The choice is specified with an ascending list of doubles, where each item specifies a half-open interval up to the next item:

 X matches j if and only if limit[j] <= X < limit[j+1]
 
If there is no match, then either the first or last index is used, depending on whether the number (X) is too low or too high. If the limit array is not in ascending order, the results of formatting will be incorrect. ChoiceFormat also accepts \\u221E as equivalent to infinity(INF).

Note: ChoiceFormat differs from the other Format classes in that you create a ChoiceFormat object with a constructor (not with a getInstance style factory method). The factory methods aren't necessary because ChoiceFormat doesn't require any complex setup for a given locale. In fact, ChoiceFormat doesn't implement any locale specific behavior.

When creating a ChoiceFormat, you must specify an array of formats and an array of limits. The length of these arrays must be the same. For example,

Here is a simple example that shows formatting and parsing:

 double[] limits = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7};
 String[] monthNames = {"Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thur","Fri","Sat"};
 ChoiceFormat form = new ChoiceFormat(limits, monthNames);
 ParsePosition status = new ParsePosition(0);
 for (double i = 0.0; i <= 8.0; ++i) {
     status.setIndex(0);
     System.out.println(i + " -> " + form.format(i) + " -> "
                              + form.parse(form.format(i),status));
 }
 
Here is a more complex example, with a pattern format:
 double[] filelimits = {0,1,2};
 String[] filepart = {"are no files","is one file","are {2} files"};
 ChoiceFormat fileform = new ChoiceFormat(filelimits, filepart);
 Format[] testFormats = {fileform, null, NumberFormat.getInstance()};
 MessageFormat pattform = new MessageFormat("There {0} on {1}");
 pattform.setFormats(testFormats);
 Object[] testArgs = {null, "ADisk", null};
 for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
     testArgs[0] = new Integer(i);
     testArgs[2] = testArgs[0];
     System.out.println(pattform.format(testArgs));
 }
 

Specifying a pattern for ChoiceFormat objects is fairly straightforward. For example:

 ChoiceFormat fmt = new ChoiceFormat(
      "-1#is negative| 0#is zero or fraction | 1#is one |1.0<is 1+ |2#is two |2<is more than 2.");
 System.out.println("Formatter Pattern : " + fmt.toPattern());

 System.out.println("Format with -INF : " + fmt.format(Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY));
 System.out.println("Format with -1.0 : " + fmt.format(-1.0));
 System.out.println("Format with 0 : " + fmt.format(0));
 System.out.println("Format with 0.9 : " + fmt.format(0.9));
 System.out.println("Format with 1.0 : " + fmt.format(1));
 System.out.println("Format with 1.5 : " + fmt.format(1.5));
 System.out.println("Format with 2 : " + fmt.format(2));
 System.out.println("Format with 2.1 : " + fmt.format(2.1));
 System.out.println("Format with NaN : " + fmt.format(Double.NaN));
 System.out.println("Format with +INF : " + fmt.format(Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY));
 
And the output result would be like the following:
 
Format with -INF : is negative Format with -1.0 : is negative Format with 0 : is zero or fraction Format with 0.9 : is zero or fraction Format with 1.0 : is one Format with 1.5 : is 1+ Format with 2 : is two Format with 2.1 : is more than 2. Format with NaN : is negative Format with +INF : is more than 2.

See Also:
DecimalFormat, MessageFormat, Serialized Form

Fields inherited from class java.text.NumberFormat
FRACTION_FIELD, INTEGER_FIELD
 
Constructor Summary
ChoiceFormat(double[] limits, String[] formats)
          Constructs with the limits and the corresponding formats.
ChoiceFormat(String newPattern)
          Constructs with limits and corresponding formats based on the pattern.
 
Method Summary
 void applyPattern(String newPattern)
          Sets the pattern.
 Object clone()
          Overrides Cloneable
 boolean equals(Object obj)
          Equality comparision between two
 StringBuffer format(double number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition status)
          Specialization of format.
 StringBuffer format(long number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition status)
          Specialization of format.
 Object[] getFormats()
          Get the formats passed in the constructor.
 double[] getLimits()
          Get the limits passed in the constructor.
 int hashCode()
          Generates a hash code for the message format object.
static double nextDouble(double d)
          Finds the least double greater than d.
static double nextDouble(double d, boolean positive)
           
 Number parse(String text, ParsePosition status)
          Returns a Long if possible (e.g., within the range [Long.MIN_VALUE, Long.MAX_VALUE] and with no decimals), otherwise a Double.
static double previousDouble(double d)
          Finds the greatest double less than d.
 void setChoices(double[] limits, String[] formats)
          Set the choices to be used in formatting.
 String toPattern()
          Gets the pattern.
 
Methods inherited from class java.text.NumberFormat
format, format, format, getAvailableLocales, getCurrencyInstance, getCurrencyInstance, getInstance, getInstance, getMaximumFractionDigits, getMaximumIntegerDigits, getMinimumFractionDigits, getMinimumIntegerDigits, getNumberInstance, getNumberInstance, getPercentInstance, getPercentInstance, isGroupingUsed, isParseIntegerOnly, parse, parseObject, setGroupingUsed, setMaximumFractionDigits, setMaximumIntegerDigits, setMinimumFractionDigits, setMinimumIntegerDigits, setParseIntegerOnly
 
Methods inherited from class java.text.Format
format, parseObject
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

ChoiceFormat

public ChoiceFormat(String newPattern)
Constructs with limits and corresponding formats based on the pattern.

ChoiceFormat

public ChoiceFormat(double[] limits,
                    String[] formats)
Constructs with the limits and the corresponding formats.
See Also:
setChoices(double[], java.lang.String[])
Method Detail

applyPattern

public void applyPattern(String newPattern)
Sets the pattern.
Parameters:
newPattern - See the class description.

toPattern

public String toPattern()
Gets the pattern.

setChoices

public void setChoices(double[] limits,
                       String[] formats)
Set the choices to be used in formatting.
Parameters:
limits - contains the top value that you want parsed with that format,and should be in ascending sorted order. When formatting X, the choice will be the i, where limit[i] <= X < limit[i+1]. If the limit array is not in ascending order, the results of formatting will be incorrect.
formats - are the formats you want to use for each limit. They can be either Format objects or Strings. When formatting with object Y, if the object is a NumberFormat, then ((NumberFormat) Y).format(X) is called. Otherwise Y.toString() is called.

getLimits

public double[] getLimits()
Get the limits passed in the constructor.
Returns:
the limits.

getFormats

public Object[] getFormats()
Get the formats passed in the constructor.
Returns:
the formats.

format

public StringBuffer format(long number,
                           StringBuffer toAppendTo,
                           FieldPosition status)
Specialization of format. This method really calls format(double, StringBuffer, FieldPosition) thus the range of longs that are supported is only equal to the range that can be stored by double. This will never be a practical limitation.
Overrides:
format in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: NumberFormat
See Also:
Format.format(java.lang.Object)

format

public StringBuffer format(double number,
                           StringBuffer toAppendTo,
                           FieldPosition status)
Description copied from class: NumberFormat
Specialization of format.
Overrides:
format in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: NumberFormat
See Also:
Format.format(java.lang.Object)

parse

public Number parse(String text,
                    ParsePosition status)
Description copied from class: NumberFormat
Returns a Long if possible (e.g., within the range [Long.MIN_VALUE, Long.MAX_VALUE] and with no decimals), otherwise a Double. If IntegerOnly is set, will stop at a decimal point (or equivalent; e.g., for rational numbers "1 2/3", will stop after the 1). Does not throw an exception; if no object can be parsed, index is unchanged!
Overrides:
parse in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: NumberFormat
See Also:
NumberFormat.isParseIntegerOnly(), Format.parseObject(java.lang.String, java.text.ParsePosition)

nextDouble

public static final double nextDouble(double d)
Finds the least double greater than d. If NaN, returns same value.

Used to make half-open intervals.

See Also:
previousDouble(double)

previousDouble

public static final double previousDouble(double d)
Finds the greatest double less than d. If NaN, returns same value.
See Also:
nextDouble(double)

clone

public Object clone()
Overrides Cloneable
Overrides:
clone in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: Object
Returns:
a clone of this instance.
Throws:
CloneNotSupportedException - if the object's class does not support the Cloneable interface. Subclasses that override the clone method can also throw this exception to indicate that an instance cannot be cloned.
OutOfMemoryError - if there is not enough memory.
See Also:
Cloneable

hashCode

public int hashCode()
Generates a hash code for the message format object.
Overrides:
hashCode in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: Object
Returns:
a hash code value for this object.
See Also:
Object.equals(java.lang.Object), Hashtable

equals

public boolean equals(Object obj)
Equality comparision between two
Overrides:
equals in class NumberFormat
Tags copied from class: Object
Parameters:
obj - the reference object with which to compare.
Returns:
true if this object is the same as the obj argument; false otherwise.
See Also:
Boolean.hashCode(), Hashtable

nextDouble

public static double nextDouble(double d,
                                boolean positive)

JavaTM 2 Platform
Standard Edition

Submit a bug or feature
Java, Java 2D, and JDBC are a trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the US and other countries.
Copyright 1993-1999 Sun Microsystems, Inc. 901 San Antonio Road,
Palo Alto, California, 94303, U.S.A. All Rights Reserved.