Java Convert String to char

In Java, manipulating strings and characters is a fundamental aspect of programming. There are times when you may need to convert a string to an array of characters or extract individual characters from a string for various operations. Fortunately, Java provides several ways to accomplish this task efficiently. In this section, we will explore different methods to convert a String to a char in Java.

We can convert String to char in Java by using the following methods:

• Using String.charAt() Method
• Using String.toCharArray() Method
• Using Java 8 Streams
• Using String.getBytes() Method

Let's discuss each in detail.

Using String.charAt() Method

The charAt() method is perhaps the simplest way to convert a String to a char array in Java. The method returns the character located at the specified index within the string.

The String.charAt() method returns a single character. If we want to get all characters, we can use loop.

The charAt() method returns a single character only. To get all characters, you can use loop.

Signature

The charAt() method returns a single character of specified index. The signature of charAt() method is given below:

Java String to char Example: charAt() method

Let's see the simple code to convert String to char in Java using charAt() method.

Let's see the simple example of converting String to char in Java.

StringToCharExample1.java

Output:

 1st character is: h 

Let's see another example to convert all characters of a string into character.

StringToCharExample2.java

Output:

 char at 0 index is: h char at 1 index is: e char at 2 index is: l char at 3 index is: l char at 4 index is: o 

Using String.toCharArray() Method

Java's toCharArray() method converts the string to a character array that can be iterated over using a loop. The method is useful when we need to perform operations on each character individually.

Let's see the simple code to convert String to char in Java using toCharArray() method. The Sting.toCharArray() method of String class converts this string into character array.

StringToCharExample3.java

Output:

 char at 0 index is: h char at 1 index is: e char at 2 index is: l char at 3 index is: l char at 4 index is: o 

Using Java 8 Streams

Java 8 introduced the Streams API that provides functional-style operations on collections. We can leverage this API to convert a string to a stream of characters and then collect them into a char array.

StringToCharExample4.java

Output:

 H e l l o 

Using String.getBytes() Method

Another approach to convert a String to a char array is by utilizing the getBytes() method to get the byte representation of the string and then converting each byte to a char.

StringToCharExample5.java

Output:

 H e l l o 

In Java, converting a String to a char array is a straightforward task, thanks to the built-in methods provided by the language. Whether you prefer the simplicity of charAt(), the versatility of toCharArray(), or the functional style of Java 8 Streams, we have multiple options to choose from based on our specific requirements. By understanding these techniques, we can effectively work with strings and characters in our Java programs.

Java string to char MCQ

1. Which of the following methods correctly converts a String to a single char in Java?

1. charAt(int index)
2. toCharArray()
3. getBytes()
4. String.valueOf(char c)

2. What will be the result of the following code?

1. ch will be 'e'.
2. ch will be 'l'.
3. ch will be 'o'.
4. Compilation error.

3. Which of the following statements regarding the charAt(int index) method in Java is true?

1. It returns a String object.
2. It throws a NullPointerException if the index is out of bounds.
3. It has a time complexity of O(1).
4. It returns a char primitive.

4. What is the purpose of the toCharArray() method in Java's String class?

1. It converts a String to an array of String objects.
2. It converts a String to a char array.
3. It converts a char array to a String.
4. It returns the Unicode code point of the first character in the string.

5. Which of the following Java data structures is commonly used to represent a single character?

1. String
2. char[]
3. Character
4. StringBuilder