[Scilab-users] Java String.format(format, value) within Scilab

[Samuel Gougeon]

Dear all,

May be the question is only about Java, or may be about how Scilab 
implements it.

In order to do some tests to fix the regression brought by Scilab 6 and 
reported as the major bug 16376 <http://bugzilla.scilab.org/16376> about 
how datatips display (big or) small values (all displayed as 0 instead 
of using an exponential notation), i am trying to use the 
java.lang.String 
<https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/String.html> class 
and its .format() method 
<https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/String.html#format(java.lang.String,%20java.lang.Object...)>, 
in Scilab language.

Indeed, the java.text.DecimalFormat class used for datatips has no 
/self-adaptative format similar to the "%g" printf one/ (that 
automatically chooses the normal or exponential numerical notation 
according to the magnitude of the absolute value to display), while the 
String class provides this .format() method, with all printf formatting 
conventions 
<https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/Formatter.html#syntax>, 
including the "%g" one.

Now, even about only the Java side, something is unclear to me:
The official documentation of the String class presents .format() as a 
String method, not as a String constructor.
If so, then .format should be applied to a predefined String. But which 
one? What is done with it? It could be the String format, but this one 
is provided as an explicit input of the method...

--> jimport java.lang.String
--> s = String.new()
  s  =

--> s.length()   // OK, this works
  ans  =
   0

--> s.format("%6.2f", -3.1415926)
Undefined operation for the given operands.
check or define function %eo_e for overloading.

--> s = String.new("%6.1f")
  s  =
%6.1f

--> s.format(-3.1415926)
Undefined operation for the given operands.
check or define function %eo_e for overloading.

Yet, the .format method is actually listed among all String's methods:
--> or(jgetmethods(String)=="format")
  ans  =
   T

Using the java.text.DecimalFormat class to fix the bug will anyway be 
possible, with explicit conditions on the magnitude of the value to 
display. But i would like to understand this error about String.format().

Any hint is welcome.

Regards
Samuel

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