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## java.util.logging
Class Formatter

    java.lang.Object
      java.util.logging.Formatter

Direct Known Subclasses:
  SimpleFormatter, XMLFormatter

public abstract class Formatter
extends Object

A Formatter provides support for formatting LogRecords.

Typically each logging Handler will have a Formatter associated with it. The Formatter takes a LogRecord and converts it to a string.

Some formatters (such as the XMLFormatter) need to wrap head and tail strings around a set of formatted records. The getHeader and getTail methods can be used to obtain these strings.

Since:
  1.4

Constructor Summary
`protected` | `Formatter()` Construct a new formatter.

Method Summary
`abstract String` | `format(LogRecord record)` Format the given log record and return the formatted string.
`String` | `formatMessage(LogRecord record)` Localize and format the message string from a log record.
`String` | `getHead(Handler h)` Return the header string for a set of formatted records.
`String` | `getTail(Handler h)` Return the tail string for a set of formatted records.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

Constructor Detail

### Formatter

    protected Formatter()

  Construct a new formatter.

Method Detail

### format

    public abstract String format(LogRecord record)

  Format the given log record and return the formatted string.

  The resulting formatted String will normally include a localized and formated version of the LogRecord's message field. The Formatter.formatMessage convenience method can (optionally) be used to localize and format the message field.

  Parameters:
    `record` - the log record to be formatted.
  Returns:
    the formatted log record

### getHead

    public String getHead(Handler h)

  Return the header string for a set of formatted records.

  This base class returns an empty string, but this may be overriden by subclasses.

  Parameters:
    `h` - The target handler.
  Returns:
    header string

### getTail

    public String getTail(Handler h)

  Return the tail string for a set of formatted records.

  This base class returns an empty string, but this may be overriden by subclasses.

  Parameters:
    `h` - The target handler.
  Returns:
    tail string

### formatMessage

    public String formatMessage(LogRecord record)

  Localize and format the message string from a log record. This method is provided as a convenience for Formatter subclasses to use when they are performing formatting.

  The message string is first localized to a format string using the record's ResourceBundle. (If there is no ResourceBundle, or if the message key is not found, then the key is used as the format string.) The format String uses java.text style formatting.

  - If there are no parameters, no formatter is used.
  - Otherwise, if the string contains "{0" then java.text.MessageFormat is used to format the string.
  - Otherwise no formatting is performed.

  Parameters:
    `record` - the log record containing the raw message
  Returns:
    a localized and formatted message

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For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java 2 SDK SE Developer Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.

Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.