Java DecimalFormat Scientific Notation Question

Question

I am using the Java DecimalFormat class to output numbers in Scientific Notation. However, there is one problem that I have. I need the strings to be a fixed length regardless of the value, and the power sign of ten discards. Currently it looks like this:

DecimalFormat format = new DecimalFormat("0.0E0");

This gives me the following combinations: 1.0E1, 1.0E-1, -1.0E1 and -1.0E-1.

I can use setPositivePrefix to get: + 1.0E1, + 1.0E-1, -1.0E1 and -1.0E-1, or what I like, but it does not affect the power sign!

Is there a way to do this to have fixed string lengths? Thanks!

Edit: Ah, so there is no way to do this using the existing Java DecimalFormat API? Thanks for the suggestions! I think I might need a subclass of DecimalFormat because I am limited to an interface that is already in place.

Answer 1

Here is one way. Hoki, maybe, but it works ...

public class DecimalFormatTest extends TestCase {
    private static class MyFormat extends NumberFormat {
        private final DecimalFormat decimal;

        public MyFormat(String pattern) {
            decimal = new DecimalFormat(pattern);
        }

        public StringBuffer format(double number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos) {
            StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
            sb.append(modified(Math.abs(number) > 1.0, decimal.format(number, toAppendTo, pos).toString()));
            return sb;
        }

        private String modified(boolean large, String s) {
            return large ? s.replace("E", "E+") : s;
        }

        public StringBuffer format(long number, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos) {
            StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
            sb.append(modified(true, decimal.format(number, toAppendTo, pos).toString()));
            return sb;
        }

        public Number parse(String source, ParsePosition parsePosition) {
            return decimal.parse(source, parsePosition);
        }

        public void setPositivePrefix(String newValue) {
            decimal.setPositivePrefix(newValue);
        }
    }
    private MyFormat    format;

    protected void setUp() throws Exception {
        format = new MyFormat("0.0E0");
        format.setPositivePrefix("+");
    }

    public void testPositiveLargeNumber() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("+1.0E+2", format.format(100.0));
    }

    public void testPositiveSmallNumber() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("+1.0E-2", format.format(0.01));
    }

    public void testNegativeLargeNumber() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("-1.0E+2", format.format(-100.0));
    }

    public void testNegativeSmallNumber() throws Exception {
        assertEquals("-1.0E-2", format.format(-0.01));
    }
}

Alternatively, you can subclass DecimalFormat, but I find it cleaner than a subclass from specific classes.

Answer 2

It worked for me

DecimalFormatSymbols SYMBOLS = DecimalFormatSymbols.getInstance(Locale.US);

    if (value > 1 || value < -1) {
        SYMBOLS.setExponentSeparator("e+");
    } else {
        SYMBOLS.setExponentSeparator("e");
    }

    DecimalFormat format = new DecimalFormat(sb.toString(), SYMBOLS);

Answer 3

printf():

Format format = new DecimalFormat("0.0E0");
Double d = new Double(.01);
System.out.println(format.format(d));
System.out.printf("%1.1E\n", d);
d = new Double(100);
System.out.println(format.format(d));
System.out.printf("%1.1E\n", d);

:

1.0E-2
1.0E-02
1.0E2
1.0E+02

String , , Java (sprintf), .

EDIT: , PrintfFormat() :

OutputStream b = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
PrintStream p = new PrintStream(b);
p.printf("%1.1E", d);
System.out.println(b.toString());

OutputStream .

Answer 4

?
. formatTest.

if (value.compareTo(positive) == 1 || value.compareTo(negative) == -1)

/**
 * inspired by:<br>
 * https://stackoverflow.com/a/13065493/8356718
 * https://stackoverflow.com/a/18027214/8356718
 * https://stackoverflow.com/a/25794946/8356718
 */
public static String format(String number, int scale) {
    BigDecimal value = new BigDecimal(number);
    DecimalFormatSymbols symbols = DecimalFormatSymbols.getInstance(Locale.US);
    BigDecimal positive = new BigDecimal(1);// scale is zero
    positive.setScale(0);// unnecessary
    BigDecimal negative = new BigDecimal(-1);// scale is zero
    negative.setScale(0);// unnecessary
    if (value.compareTo(positive) == 1 || value.compareTo(negative) == -1) {
        symbols.setExponentSeparator("e+");
    } else {
        symbols.setExponentSeparator("e");
    }
    DecimalFormat formatter = new DecimalFormat("0.0E0", symbols);
    formatter.setRoundingMode(RoundingMode.HALF_UP);
    formatter.setMinimumFractionDigits(scale);
    return formatter.format(value);
}

/**
 * set the scale automatically
 */
public static String format(String number) {
    BigDecimal value = new BigDecimal(number);
    return format(number, value.scale() > 0 ? value.precision() : value.scale());
}

/*
output:
----------
0e0
1.0e-2
-1.0e-2
1.234560e-5
-1.234560e-5
1e0
-1e0
3e+0
-3e+0
2e+2
-2e+2
----------
0.0000000000e0
1.0000000000e-2
-1.0000000000e-2
1.2345600000e-5
-1.2345600000e-5
1.0000000000e0
-1.0000000000e0
3.0000000000e+0
-3.0000000000e+0
2.0000000000e+2
-2.0000000000e+2
----------
*/
public static void formatTest() {
    System.out.println("----------");
    System.out.println(format("0"));
    System.out.println(format("0.01"));
    System.out.println(format("-0.01"));
    System.out.println(format("0.0000123456"));
    System.out.println(format("-0.0000123456"));
    System.out.println(format("1"));
    System.out.println(format("-1"));
    System.out.println(format("3"));
    System.out.println(format("-3"));
    System.out.println(format("200"));
    System.out.println(format("-200"));
    System.out.println("----------");
    System.out.println(format("0", 10));
    System.out.println(format("0.01", 10));
    System.out.println(format("-0.01", 10));
    System.out.println(format("0.0000123456", 10));
    System.out.println(format("-0.0000123456", 10));
    System.out.println(format("1", 10));
    System.out.println(format("-1", 10));
    System.out.println(format("3", 10));
    System.out.println(format("-3", 10));
    System.out.println(format("200", 10));
    System.out.println(format("-200", 10));
    System.out.println("----------");
}

Answer 5

"0.0E + 0"? .