Help me understand the java stringbuffer

[anthonette50]

I am trying to understand what the code below is doing, i know the functions of a string buffer, however am finding it difficult to interprete the aim of the code below. Hope someone can help me?

public string tostring(){
stringBuffer sb=new StringBuffer(28);
sb.append("move [x: ");
sb.append(x);
sb.append("; y: ");
sb.append(y);
sb.append(";val: ");
sb.append(getVal());
sb.append("] ");
return sb.string();
}

[BigDaddyLH]

The code is doing the same as:

return "move [x: " + x + "; y: " + y + "; val: " + getVal() + "]";

I don't see the advantage to using a StringBuffer in this case.

[anthonette50]

Thanks, its a lot clearer now.

[BigDaddyLH]

Thanks, its a lot clearer now.

There are places where using StringBuilder to accumulate a String makes sense -- where you have a loop, for example, or where the code is spread through methods, so you create and pass the StringBuilder around. It has its uses, but your example was too simple.

[JosAH]

While we're at it, a StringBuffer is to a StringBuilder as a Vector is to an ArrayList.
Use a StringBuilder instead if you have to use a mutable string notion. All those
silly synchronized StringBuffer methods aren't needed most of the time.

kind regards,

Jos