Create a string with n characters

Question

Is there a way in java to create a string with a specified number of a specified character? In my case, I would need to create a string with 10 spaces. My current code is:

Answer 1

Hmm now that I think about it, maybe Arrays.fill:

char[] charArray = new char[length];
Arrays.fill(charArray, ' ');
String str = new String(charArray);

Of course, I assume that the fill method does the same thing as your code, so it will probably perform about the same, but at least this is fewer lines.

Answer 2

My contribution based on the algorithm for fast exponentiation.

/**
 * Repeats the given {@link String} n times.
 * 
 * @param str
 *            the {@link String} to repeat.
 * @param n
 *            the repetition count.
 * @throws IllegalArgumentException
 *             when the given repetition count is smaller than zero.
 * @return the given {@link String} repeated n times.
 */
public static String repeat(String str, int n) {
    if (n < 0)
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                "the given repetition count is smaller than zero!");
    else if (n == 0)
        return "";
    else if (n == 1)
        return str;
    else if (n % 2 == 0) {
        String s = repeat(str, n / 2);
        return s.concat(s);
    } else
        return str.concat(repeat(str, n - 1));
}

I tested the algorithm against two other approaches:

• Regular for loop using String.concat() to concatenate string
• Regular for loop using a StringBuilder

Test code (concatenation using a for loop and String.concat() becomes to slow for large n, so I left it out after the 5th iteration).

/**
 * Test the string concatenation operation.
 * 
 * @param args
 */
public static void main(String[] args) {
    long startTime;
    String str = " ";

    int n = 1;
    for (int j = 0; j < 9; ++j) {
        n *= 10;
        System.out.format("Performing test with n=%d\n", n);

        startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
        StringUtil.repeat(str, n);
        System.out
                .format("\tStringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    %d milliseconds\n",
                        System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime);

        if (j <5) {
            startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
            String string = "";
            for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
                string = string.concat(str);
            System.out
                    .format("\tString.concat() concatenation performed in        %d milliseconds\n",
                            System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime);
        } else
            System.out
                    .format("\tString.concat() concatenation performed in        x milliseconds\n");
        startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
        StringBuilder b = new StringBuilder();
        for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
            b.append(str);
        b.toString();
        System.out
                .format("\tStringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in %d milliseconds\n",
                        System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime);
    }
}

Results:

Performing test with n=10
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        0 milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 0 milliseconds
Performing test with n=100
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        1 milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 0 milliseconds
Performing test with n=1000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        1 milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 1 milliseconds
Performing test with n=10000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        43 milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 5 milliseconds
Performing test with n=100000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        1579 milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 1 milliseconds
Performing test with n=1000000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    0 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        x milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 10 milliseconds
Performing test with n=10000000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    7 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        x milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 112 milliseconds
Performing test with n=100000000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    80 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        x milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 1107 milliseconds
Performing test with n=1000000000
    StringUtil.repeat() concatenation performed in    1372 milliseconds
    String.concat() concatenation performed in        x milliseconds
    StringBuilder.append() concatenation performed in 12125 milliseconds

Conclusion:

• For large n - use the recursive approach
• For small n - for loop has sufficient speed

Answer 3

RandomStringUtils has a provision to create a string from given input size. Cant comment on the speed, but its a one liner.

RandomStringUtils.random(5,"\t");

creates an output

\t\t\t\t\t

preferable if you dont want to see \0 in your code.

Answer 4

You can use standard String.format function for generate N spaces. For example:

String.format("%5c", ' ');

Makes a string with 5 spaces.

or

int count = 15;
String fifteenSpacebars = String.format("%" + count + "c", ' ');

Makes a string of 15 spacebars.

If you want another symbol to repeat, you must replace spaces with your desired symbol:

int count = 7;
char mySymbol = '#';
System.out.println(String.format("%" + count + "c", ' ').replaceAll("\\ ", "\\" + mySymbol));

Output:

#######

Answer 5

I know of no built-in method for what you're asking about. However, for a small fixed length like 10, your method should be plenty fast.

Answer 6

The shortest solution with Guava:

Strings.repeat(" ", len)

Via Simple way to repeat a String in java.