System.out.println / print / printf

Syntax

System.out.println(value);

Examples

System.out.println("Hello, World!");
System.out.println(42);

System.out.print("No new line here... ");
System.out.print("still the same line.");
System.out.println();  // move to a new line manually

String name = "Fola";
int score = 87;

System.out.println("Name: " + name + ", Score: " + score + "%");

double price = 19.5;
int quantity = 3;
String item = "Keyboard";

System.out.printf("Item: %s, Qty: %d, Price: $%.2f%n", item, quantity, price);
// Item: Keyboard, Qty: 3, Price: $19.50

System.out.printf("%-10s|%5d%n", "Score", 95);  // left/right alignment

Best practices

• Use println() for most output - reach for printf() specifically when you need controlled number formatting or column alignment
• Use %n rather than \\n inside printf() format strings for a platform-independent newline
• Avoid excessive string concatenation with + in loops - use a StringBuilder instead for building large strings efficiently
• Remember System.out is meant for simple console output - use a proper logging framework (like SLF4J) in real applications

At a glance

Purpose

General-purpose application development

File extension

.java

Runs in

Java Virtual Machine

Usually used with

JDK and Java libraries

Specifications & further reading

• Java Language Specification

Related Java documentation