MessageFormat

public class MessageFormat
extends Format

java.lang.Object
   ↳ java.text.Format
     ↳ java.text.MessageFormat


MessageFormat provides a means to produce concatenated messages in a language-neutral way. Use this to construct messages displayed for end users.

MessageFormat takes a set of objects, formats them, then inserts the formatted strings into the pattern at the appropriate places.

Note: MessageFormat differs from the other Format classes in that you create a MessageFormat object with one of its constructors (not with a getInstance style factory method). The factory methods aren't necessary because MessageFormat itself doesn't implement locale specific behavior. Any locale specific behavior is defined by the pattern that you provide as well as the subformats used for inserted arguments.

Patterns and Their Interpretation

MessageFormat uses patterns of the following form:
 MessageFormatPattern:
         String
         MessageFormatPattern FormatElement String

 FormatElement:
         { ArgumentIndex }
         { ArgumentIndex , FormatType }
         { ArgumentIndex , FormatType , FormatStyle }

 FormatType: one of 
         number date time choice

 FormatStyle:
         short
         medium
         long
         full
         integer
         currency
         percent
         SubformatPattern
 

Within a String, a pair of single quotes can be used to quote any arbitrary characters except single quotes. For example, pattern string "'{0}'" represents string "{0}", not a FormatElement. A single quote itself must be represented by doubled single quotes '' throughout a String. For example, pattern string "'{''}'" is interpreted as a sequence of '{ (start of quoting and a left curly brace), '' (a single quote), and }' (a right curly brace and end of quoting), not '{' and '}' (quoted left and right curly braces): representing string "{'}", not "{}".

A SubformatPattern is interpreted by its corresponding subformat, and subformat-dependent pattern rules apply. For example, pattern string "{1,number,$'#',##}" (SubformatPattern with underline) will produce a number format with the pound-sign quoted, with a resul