StringBuilder and String

[Cory Max]

I understand the difference between the two but I have always used Strings in my code instead of StringBuilders. I am wondering how to set a stringbuilder object = a new string, not to append, not to insert, but to set it to a new string without the overhead of creating another object. for example, with strings I would have done:

String s = "";
for (int i = 0 ; i < 10 ; i ++) {
s = "" + i;
System.out.println(s);
}

Append, appends the string, insert, inserts at a specified index. How do I clear the contents of my stringbuilder and set it equal to a new value?

Thanks folks,

Yeuker

[Mark Dexter]

Since strings are immutable, you are creating a new String object with each iteration. So the StringBuilder will execute faster, since you are only creating one new object at the start of the loop instead a new object with each iteration. If you have "Thinking in Java", see page 506. Hope this helps. Mark Dexter

[Cory Max]

I understand what the differences are. I want to know how to clear the contents of the stringbuffer, then insert a new string.

[Joanne Neal]

Will the replace method do what you want ?

[Cory Max]

Yup. Just what I needed. Just didnt look through the api as far as I should have:

    
    StringBuffer stringPrice = new StringBuffer();
    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)  {
      stringPrice.insert(0,i);
      stringPrice.replace(0,stringPrice.length(),Integer.toString(i));
      System.out.println(stringPrice.toString());
    }