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Java Strings: Special Characters

Special characters in strings allow you to include characters that are otherwise difficult to type or have special meaning in code. In Java, you can use escape sequences to represent special characters.

Key Topics

1. Common Escape Sequences

Escape Sequence Description
New line
\tTab
\bBackspace
\rCarriage return
\fFormfeed
\\Backslash
\'Single quote
\"Double quote

2. Using Escape Sequences

You can include escape sequences in strings to represent special characters.

Example 1: New Line

public class SpecialCharactersNewLine {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String message = "First Line\nSecond Line";
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

Output:

First Line
Second Line

Example 2: Tab

public class SpecialCharactersTab {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String message = "Column1\tColumn2";
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

Output:

Column1 Column2

Example 3: Backslash

public class SpecialCharactersBackslash {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String message = "This is a backslash: \ ";
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

Output:

This is a backslash: \

Example 4: Single Quote

public class SpecialCharactersSingleQuote {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String message = "This is a single quote: \'";
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

Output:

This is a single quote: '

Example 5: Double Quote

public class SpecialCharactersDoubleQuote {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String message = "This is a double quote: \"";
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

Output:

This is a double quote: "

Key Takeaways

  • Use escape sequences to include special characters in strings.
  • Common escape sequences include \n for new lines and \t for tabs.
  • Always use double backslashes \ to represent a single backslash in strings.
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