Explaining Java StringBuffer Class with Example

Being a skilled Java developer requires a solid understanding of strings because they have a crucial role in this programming language. 

You must be able to work with strings in a variety of ways. The StringBuffer class, which facilitates manipulating and carrying out multiple operations on Strings in a variety of ways, will be introduced to you in this article. 
This article defines the StringBuffer in java and its various in-built properties. This article also explains some features and advantages of the StringBuffer in java.

What is StringBuffer in Java?

In Java, a string is a group of characters with an immutable attribute. Java thus offers a class called StringBuffer that allows for the creation of a string of characters having modifiable or mutable attributes. 

In Java, defining a class involves using two primary pointers:

• Constructor
• Methods

Importance and Usage of StringBuffer in Java

• It is possible to modify the contents of a StringBuffer object without having to create a new one because these objects are mutable.
• A StringBuffer's initial capacity can be set either when it is formed or at a later time using the ensureCapacity() method.
• Use the append() method to attach strings, characters, or other objects to the buffer's end.
• Use the insert() method to add objects like strings, characters, or others to the buffer at a specific location.
• To delete characters from the buffer, use the delete() method.
• The characters in the buffer can be reversed using the reverse() technique.

Creating Java StringBuffer Objects

Modifiable or mutable string objects are created using the Java StringBuffer class. Java's StringBuffer class is identical to the String class except that it can be modified. Let’s deep dive and discuss the internal working of StringBuffer in java as well as the methods of the StringBuffer class in Java with proper examples.

Syntax for Creating a New Java StringBuffer Object

Let's discuss the Syntax of the StringBuffer in java.

//Declaring the StringBuffer class.
StringBuffer m = new StringBuffer(); //m is the reference of the StringBuffer class.

The StringBuffer class has a variety of constructor types for various tasks.

Comparison with String Class in Terms of Mutability

A changeable string is one that may be altered or transformed into an existing object. To build a mutable string, the StringBuilder and StringBuffer classes are utilized. Let's use an easy example to understand the mutability of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

package stringBufferPrograms; 
public class MutableStringEx { 
public static void main(String[ ] args) 
{ 
 StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer("HeroVired"); 
  sb.append(" Courses"); 
  System.out.println(sb); 
 } 
}

Output: 
           HeroVired Courses

No new item is made just to include "Easy." It is added to the already-existing string buffer object since when you establish a StringBuffer object, you can make any necessary changes to the object. This flexible behavior is nothing more than Java's mutability. 

The garbage collector will automatically eliminate the outdated item.

Constructors of Java StringBuffer Class

Let's discuss the constructure of StringBuffer in java:

Methods of the Java StringBuffer Class

Let's discuss the method of StringBuffer in java.

Explanation of Each Java stringbuffer Methods with Examples

Now we have seen the major methods of StringBuffer in java. Now let’s understand them in detail with examples.

appendCodePoint (int codePoint):

This method adds the codePoint argument's string representation to this sequence.

Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public StringBuffer appendCodePoint(int codePoint)

ensureCapacity():

It is applied to expand a StringBuffer object's storage capacity. Depending on which is greater, the new capacity is going to be set to the amount we indicate or twice the previous capacity plus two (i.e., capacity+2).

Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

void ensureCapacity(int capacity)

charAt(int index):

The char value at the given index in this sequence is returned by this procedure. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public char charAt(int index)

IntStream chars():

The char values from this sequence are returned as a stream of int zero-extending by this procedure. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public IntStream chars()

int codePointAt(int index):

The character, which is also the Unicode code point, at the given index is returned by this procedure. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int codePointAt(int index)

int codePointBefore(int index):

The character or the Unicode code point preceding the supplied index is returned by this procedure. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int codePointBefore(int index)

int codePointCount(int beginIndex, int endIndex):

The number of Unicode code points in the supplied text range of this sequence is returned by this method. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int codePointCount(int beginIndex, int endIndex)

IntStream codePoints():

This method is known for returning the collection of code point values from this sequence. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public IntStream codePoints()

void getChars(int srcBegin, int srcEnd, char[] dst, int dstBegin):

The characters in the destination character array DST are extracted from this sequence using this procedure. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public void getChars(int srcBegin, int srcEnd, char[] dst, int dstBegin)

int indexOf(String str):

This function returns the index of the first instance of the provided substring in this string. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int indexOf(String str); public int indexOf(String str, int fromIndex)

int lastIndexOf(String str):

This function returns the position of the last instance of the supplied substring within the given string. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int lastIndexOf(String str); public int lastIndexOf(String str, int fromIndex)

int offsetByCodePoints(int index, int codePointOffset):

This procedure enables programmers to return the index inside the given sequence that is offset by the codePointOffset code points. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public int offsetByCodePoints(int index, int codePointOffset)

void setCharAt(int index, char ch):

The character at the given index is set to ch using this method. Let's understand this method of StringBuffer in java with syntax.

Syntax:

public void setCharAt(int index, char ch)

Differences Between StringBuffer and StringBuilder

Let's discuss difference between Stringbuilder and StringBuffer.

When to Use StringBuffer Versus StringBuilder

StringBuilder, a brand-new class released with Java 1.5, is comparable to StringBuffer with the exception of synchronization and thread safety. Additional methods for the StringBuffer include substring, capacity,  length, trimToSize, and others. Nevertheless, since you already have all of them in String, they are not necessary. 

The StringBuilder class never included these methods because of this. After considering the inadequacies of StringBuffer, the StringBuilder class was established in Java 1.5 as opposed to StringBuffer, which was first presented in Java 1.0. 

Leverage StringBuilder when you’re working in a single-threaded ecosystem or are least bothered about thread safety. For thread-safe operations, use StringBuffer in all other cases. Want to learn more about what thread in Java is? Check out this blog on Thread in Java.

Tips and Guidelines or Efficient and Effective Use of the StringBuffer Class

• Java language. An Object class is extended (or inherited from) by StringBuffer.
• Serializable, Appendable, and CharSequence are all StringBuffer class interfaces that have been implemented.
• Final public class Long StringBuffer implements of objects CharSequence, Serializable, and Appendable.
• The use of string buffers by many threads is secure. 
• The methods can be synchronized as needed to make sure that every operation on a given instance behaves as though it were happening in some kind of sequential order.
• This class synchronizes solely on the string buffer executing the operation, not the source, whenever an operation involving a source sequence takes place.
• It inherits some of the notifyAll(), notifies(), hashCode(), getClass(), finalize(), equals(), and clone() methods from the Object class.

Here's a table highlighting the differences between String and StringBuffer in Java:

These are some of the key differences between String and StringBuffer in Java. It's important to choose the appropriate class based on your specific requirements to optimize performance and memory usage.

Conclusion

• Java's StringBuffer is utilized to store mutable sequences, which boosts their effectiveness.
• Java's StringBuffer object is thread-safe, meaning that several threads cannot access it at the same time.
• The mutable characteristic of the StringBuffer class makes it faster than the String class.
• The StringBuffer in Java can hold 16 bytes by default.
• When we execute numerous dynamic addition operations, StringBuffer is typically used.
• Due to the String class' immutable property, we are unable to use it because it will result in significant memory waste.

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