Скачать или смотреть How to Fix Hex Code Output in Java Using the toString Method

Learn how to implement a `toString` method in Java to print object details instead of hex codes. A step-by-step guide for students and Java enthusiasts!
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/76891025/ asked by the user 'Jweese1220' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/19880520/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/76891032/ provided by the user '0x150' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13290159/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: I can't figure out how to get my monkey and dog lists to print as anything but hex codes. I think I need a toString method but I can't get it to work

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Stop Your Code from Printing Hex Codes with Java's toString Method

If you’ve ever worked with Java and encountered output like [Dog@ 42a57993, Dog@ 75b84c92, Dog@ 6bc7c054], you know how frustrating it can be. This hex code output is the default behavior when Java tries to print object references instead of their meaningful details. In this guide, we'll explore how to override this behavior by using the toString method in your Java classes, specifically focusing on the Dog and Monkey classes in your project.

The Problem Explained

Why Do You See Hex Codes?

When you attempt to print an object in Java without a custom toString method, Java uses the default implementation provided by the Object class. This default implementation returns a string that consists of the class name followed by the "@ " sign and the object’s hash code in hexadecimal form. This isn't helpful when you want to show meaningful information about an object—in your case, dog details.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Solution: Implementing the toString Method

To fix this issue, you simply need to define your own toString method in your Dog and Monkey classes. Here’s how you can do it step by step:

Step 1: Open Your Dog Class

In the Dog class, you will add a new method that overrides the default toString method from the Object class. This method will return a string representation of the Dog object.

Step 2: Add the toString Method

Here’s an example of how to implement it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Points:

Override Annotation: Denotes that you are overriding a method from the superclass.

Custom Output: Format the output string to display meaningful object attributes; you can customize which properties to include.

Step 3: Repeat for the Monkey Class

Just like with the Dog class, follow the same procedure in your Monkey class to ensure that its instances print useful information as well. Here’s an example for the Monkey class:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 4: Test Your Implementation

Once you have implemented the toString methods in both the Dog and Monkey classes, run your application again. Now when you print the lists of dogs or monkeys, you should see nicely formatted strings representing each animal instead of hex codes.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Implementing the toString method in your Java classes is a simple yet powerful way to enhance the readability and usefulness of your output. By following these easy steps, you can ensure that when you print your objects, you receive useful information instead of cryptic hex codes. Happy coding!