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The Format Family
The printf Family

If you've used C/C++ I/O in the past, it may have occurred to you that C's printf is pretty convenient for formatting output.  So you may have asked yourself:  "Is there anything like printf in Java?  How do I gain greater control of formatting my output?"

Before version 5 (1.5) of Java, it wasn't easy.  Java provided a set of classes to allow you to format messages, but they were (and still are) not the easiest things to use.

Fortunately, Java 5/1,5 added the ability to format messages in a way that is much more compatible with C/C++'s printf, that was also available in many other languages.  It is much easier to use, and many people are already familiar with the principles of printf formatting.