How To Convert String To Float In Java

The process of Conversion of a string into a float in java refers to the process of converting the value of a string data type into the value of the data type float, the size of the data does not matter. This process is performed because there are some specific operations that can be operated on a float data type instead of a string data type.

A string data type can be converted into a float data type in java using various methods which are currently supported for all problems,  such as Float.parseFloat(String), Float.valueOf(String), Double.parseDouble(String) followed by a type cast, Float Constructor.

Why is there a need to convert string to float in java?

There are several situations in which you may need to convert a string to a float in Java. Some common examples include:

User input: It’s typical for user input to be provided as a string when developing an application that needs it. The input must be changed into a numeric data type, such as a float if you want to execute mathematical operations on it.

Data conversion: Even though the data you’re working with from a file or database contains numbers, it can be saved as a string when you’re working with it. To execute calculations in this situation, you might need to convert the strings to floating-point numbers.

Text parsing: In some circumstances, you might need to take the numbers from a string and turn them into floats. For instance, you might need to convert a string that represents money, such as “$50.00,” to a float in order to conduct arithmetic operations.

Converting strings to floats is a vital step in many Java applications since it allows for flexible and effective management of numerical data.

Four Methods for converting strings into float in Java

Here are several methods to convert a string to a float in Java:

  1. Float.parseFloat(String)
  2. Float.valueOf(String)
  3. Double.parseDouble(String) followed by a type cast
  4. Float Constructor

Let’s dive in each with example for more detail:

1. Float.parseFloat(String) approach to convert string to float

This is the static function of the Float class. After accepting a string as an argument, the function returns a floating-point value. This method is also known as naive method.

Example code:

import java.util.Scanner;
public class StringToFloat {
public static void main(String[] args) {
	 
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
	
System.out.print("Enter a floating-point number as a string: ");
// Read the input string
String input = sc.nextLine();
try {
 
// Convert the input string to a float
float number = Float.parseFloat(input);
  
// Display the result
System.out.println("The floating-point number is: " + number);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
 
System.out.println ("The input string is not a valid floating-point number.");
}
 
// Close the Scanner object
sc.close();}}

Output:

Enter a floating-point number as a string: 3.14159265
The floating-point number is: 3.14159265

Explanation:

  1. Create the object of the scanner class so that you can use system resources.
  2. Prompt user to input Floating point number as a string.
  3. Read the input using sc.nextLine().
  4. Convert the string to float using Float.parseFloat().
  5. If the syntax is valid then display results otherwise throw Invalid syntax error.
  6. Release the scanner object to release resources.

2. Convert string to float with Float.valueOf(String):

This function also comes with a static version in the Float class. It accepts a string as an argument from the user through a prompt and generates a Float object with the floating-point value of the string as its value.

Example Code:

import java.util.Scanner;
public class StringToFloat {
public static void main(String[] args) {
 
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
 

System.out.print("Enter a floating-point number as a string: ");
String str = scanner.nextLine();
try {
 
// Convert the string to a float using the Float.valueOf(String s) method
float f = Float.valueOf(str);
 
// Print the converted float value to the console
System.out.println("The floating-point number is: " + f);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
 

System.out.println("Invalid input: " + str + " is not a valid floating-point number.");}}}

Output:

Enter a floating-point number as a string: 5.67
The floating-point number is: 5.67

Explanation:

  1. Create the object of the scanner class so that you can use system resources.
  2. Prompt user to input Floating point number as a string.
  3. Read the input using sc.nextLine().
  4. Convert the string to float using Float.valueOf(str).
  5. If the syntax is valid then display the result otherwise throw Invalid syntax error.
  6. Release the scanner object to release resources.

3. Change string to floatDouble.parseDouble(String) followed by a type cast:

The parseDouble function of the Double class permits the user to parse strings and convert the input data type i.e. string into a float data type.  After that result can be assigned to a float variable.

Example code:

import java.util.Scanner;
public class StringToDouble {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
	 

System.out.print("Enter string: ");
String numberAsString = input.nextLine();

// Try to convert the string to a double using Double.parseDouble
try {
double numberAsDouble = Double.parseDouble(numberAsString);
 
System.out.println("The string converted to a double: " + numberAsDouble);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {

System.out.println("The invalid string for double parsing.");
}
  
input.close();
}}

Output:

Enter a number as a string: 123.45
The string converted to a double: 123.45

Explanation:

  1. Create the object of the scanner class so that you can use system resources.
  2. Prompt user to input Floating point number as a string.
  3. Read the input using sc.nextLine().
  4. Convert the string to a float using Double.parseDouble().
  5. If the syntax is valid then display the result otherwise throw Invalid syntax error.

4. Change string into floatFloat Constructor:

You may generate a Float object from a string using the function Object() { [native code] } for the Float class.

Example code:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class StringToFloat {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
    System.out.print("Enter a string value: "); 
    String stringValue = input.nextLine();  	
    try {
      Float floatValue = Float.valueOf(stringValue);
      System.out.println("The converted float value is: " + floatValue.floatValue()); 
    } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
      System.out.println("Error: Invalid input, not a valid float value.");
    } finally {
      input.close();
    }
  }
}

Output:

Enter a string value: 123.45
The converted float value is: 123.45

Explanation:

  1. The program takes user input for a string value using Scanner.
  2. The string value is then converted to a float using Float.valueOf().
  3. If the input is not a valid float value, a NumberFormatException is caught and an error message is printed.
  4. The converted float value is printed if input is valid.
  5. Scanner is closed using the finally block.

Best method to convert String into Float in java:

For numerous reasons, Java’s Float.parseFloat() method is thought to be the best one for converting a string to a float:

  1. You don’t need to include any additional libraries because it is built-in and part of the Java standard library.
  2. Simplicity and ease of use: The procedure is simple and straightforward to use.
  3. Robustness: A method is a dependable option because it is made to handle the majority of use cases for converting a string to a float.
  4. The function can handle errors by throwing a NumberFormatException if the string cannot be converted into a float.
  5. Performance: The approach has a low overhead and is tuned for performance.
  6. Overall, the Float.parseFloat() method is a well-known and popular way to turn a string into a float.

Sample Problems to learn conversion of String to Float:

1. Write a program to calculate the largest of three floating point values stored in three different strings using the Float.parseFloat(String) method.

Solution:

  1. Set num1, num2, num3 = “3.14”, ”2.718”, ”1.414”.
  2. Convert all above string variables to float using Float.parseFloat().
  3. Initialise largest_float variable = num1.
  4. Then with the if else loop check which largest number.
  5. Display result.
public class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Define three string representations of float values
    String str1 = "3.14";
    String str2 = "2.718";
    String str3 = "1.414";
    
    // Convert the strings to float values using Float.parseFloat(String)
    float num1 = Float.parseFloat(str1);
    float num2 = Float.parseFloat(str2);
    float num3 = Float.parseFloat(str3);
    
    // Initialize the largest value as the first number
    float largest = num1;
    
    // Check if the second number is larger
    if (num2 > largest) {
      largest = num2;
    }
    
    // Check if the third number is larger
    if (num3 > largest) {
      largest = num3;
    }
    
    // Display the result
    System.out.println("The largest number is: " + largest);
  }
}

Output:

The largest number is: 3.14

2. Write a program to calculate the product of two floating point values stored in strings using the Float.valueOf(String) method.

 Solution:

  1. Set str1 = “3.14”,  str2 = “2.718”;
  2. Convert all string variables to float using Float.valueOf().
  3. Calculate the product and store value in the product.
  4. Display the result.
public class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Define two string representations of float values
    String str1 = "3.14";
    String str2 = "2.718";
    
    // Convert the strings to float values using Float.valueOf(String)
    float num1 = Float.valueOf(str1);
    float num2 = Float.valueOf(str2);
    
    // Calculate the product of the two float values
    float product = num1 * num2;
    
    // Display the result
    System.out.println("The product of " + str1 + " and " + str2 + " is " + product);
  }
}

Output:

The product of 3.14 and 2.718 is 8.53452

3. Write a program to calculate the mean of four float numbers stored in four different strings using the Double.parseDouble(String) method.

Solution:

  1.  A class called “Main” with a main method is defined in the code.
  2. There are four declared string variables that store string representations of double values.
  3. Using Double.parseDouble, the string values are transformed into double values ().
  4.  
  5. A variable called “sum” is used to calculate and hold the total of the four double values.
  6. The four double values are averaged, and the result is kept in a variable called “mean.”
  7. The mean is shown using System.out.println on the console ().
public class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Define four string representations of double values
    String str1 = "3.14";
    String str2 = "2.718";
    String str3 = "1.414";
    String str4 = "0.693";
    
    // Convert the strings to double values using Double.parseDouble(String)
    double num1 = Double.parseDouble(str1);
    double num2 = Double.parseDouble(str2);
    double num3 = Double.parseDouble(str3);
    double num4 = Double.parseDouble(str4);
    
    // Calculate the sum of the numbers
    double sum = num1 + num2 + num3 + num4;
    
    // Calculate the mean
    double mean = sum / 4;
    
    // Display the result
    System.out.println("The mean of the numbers is: " + mean);
  }}

Output:

The mean of the numbers is: 1.99125

4. Write a program to calculate the difference of two float numbers stored in two strings using the Float constructor.

Solution:

  1. A class called “Main” with a main method is defined in the code.
  2. There are two declared string variables that store strings that represent float values.
  3. Using the Float function Object() { [native code] }, the string values are transformed into float values.
  4. A variable called “difference” is used to calculate and store the difference between the two float values.
  5. System.out.println is utilised to display the difference to the console ().

Output:

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are generally four ways to convert string to float in Java and those are using the Float.parseFloat(String) method, Using the Float.valueOf(String)Method, UsingDouble.parseDouble(String), and float constructor choosing one method over the other will depend on the specific use case and personal preference.

Regardless of the method used, the result will be a float representation of the string.

So, it’s recommended to try each and every method discussed above and use which has the least time complexity.