pages['basic-input-output'],

title: Java Basic Input and Output

description: In this tutorial, you will learn simple ways to display output to users and take input from users in Java.

import { Heading } from '@/components/Heading'

import Link from 'next/link'

import { TipInfo } from '@/components/Tip'

In Java, you can simply use

System.out.println(); or

System.out.print(); or

System.out.printf();

to send output to standard output (screen).

Here,

- `System` is a class

- `out` is a `public` `static` field: it accepts output data.

Don't worry if you don't understand it. We will discuss `class`, `public`, and `static` in later chapters.

Let's take an example to output a line.

class AssignmentOperator {

public static void main(String[] args) {

System.out.println("Java programming is interesting.");

}

}

**Output:**

Here, we have used the `println()` method to display the string.

- `print()` - It prints string inside the quotes.

- `println()` - It prints string inside the quotes similar like `print()` method. Then the cursor moves to the beginning of the next line.

- `printf()` - It provides string formatting.

class Output {

public static void main(String[] args) {

System.out.println("1. println ");

System.out.println("2. println ");

System.out.print("1. print ");

System.out.print("2. print");

}

}

**Output:**

In the above example, we have shown the working of the `print()` and `println()` methods. To learn about the `printf()` method, visit Java [**printf()**](https://www.cs.colostate.edu/~cs160/.Summer16/resources/Java_printf_method_quick_reference.pdf).

class Variables {

public static void main(String[] args) {

Double number = -10.6;

System.out.println(5);

System.out.println(number);

}

}

When you run the program, the output will be:

Here, you can see that we have not used the quotation marks. It is because to display integers, variables and so on, we don't use quotation marks.

class PrintVariables {

public static void main(String[] args) {

Double number = -10.6;

System.out.println("I am " + "awesome.");

System.out.println("Number = " + number);

}

}

**Output:**

I am awesome.

Number = -10.6

In the above example, notice the line,

System.out.println("I am " + "awesome.");

Here, we have used the + operator to concatenate (join) the two strings: `"I am "` and `"awesome."`.

And also, the line,

System.out.println("Number = " + number);

Here, first the value of variable `number` is evaluated. Then, the value is concatenated to the string: `"Number = "`.

Java provides different ways to get input from the user. However, in this tutorial, you will learn to get input from user using the object of `Scanner` class.

In order to use the object of `Scanner`, we need to import `java.util.Scanner` package.

import java.util.Scanner;

To learn more about importing packages in Java, visit [Java Import Packages]().

Then, we need to create an object of the `Scanner` class. We can use the object to take input from the user.

Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

int number = input.nextInt();

import java.util.Scanner;

class Input {

public static void main(String[] args) {

Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

System.out.print("Enter an integer: ");

int number = input.nextInt();

System.out.println("You entered " + number);

// closing the scanner object

input.close();

}

}

**Output:**

In the above example, we have created an object named `input` of the `Scanner` class. We then call the `nextInt()` method of the `Scanner` class to get an integer input from the user.

Similarly, we can use `nextLong()`, `nextFloat()`, `nextDouble()`, and `next()` methods to get `long`, `float`, `double`, and `string` input respectively from the user.

<TipInfo>

**Note:** We have used the `close()` method to close the object. It is recommended to close the scanner object once the input is taken.

</TipInfo>

import java.util.Scanner;

class Input {

public static void main(String[] args) {

Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

// Getting float input

System.out.print("Enter float: ");

float myFloat = input.nextFloat();

System.out.println("Float entered = " + myFloat);

// Getting double input

System.out.print("Enter double: ");

double myDouble = input.nextDouble();

System.out.println("Double entered = " + myDouble);

// Getting String input

System.out.print("Enter text: ");

String myString = input.next();

System.out.println("Text entered = " + myString);

}

}

**Output:**

As mentioned, there are other several ways to get input from the user. To learn more about `Scanner`, visit Java Scanner.