Java – Get string character by index

In Java, you can get a character from a string at a specific index using the charAt(int index) method provided by the String class. Here’s how it works:

Syntax

char charAtIndex = stringVariable.charAt(index);

• stringVariable: The string you want to extract the character from.
• index: The position of the character in the string (zero-based).

Example

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String text = "Hello, World!";
        
        // Get the character at index 7
        char character = text.charAt(7);
        
        // Print the result
        System.out.println("Character at index 7: " + character); // Output: W
    }
}

Important Notes

1. Index is Zero-Based:
   • The first character has an index of 0.
   • The last character has an index of string.length() - 1.
2. Throws StringIndexOutOfBoundsException:
   • If the index is negative or greater than or equal to the string’s length, Java will throw this exception.
   • Example:

     String text = "Hello";
     char character = text.charAt(10); // Throws StringIndexOutOfBoundsException
     

3. Iterating Through Characters:
   • You can iterate through all characters in a string using a for loop:

     public class Main {
         public static void main(String[] args) {
             String text = "Hello";
             
             for (int i = 0; i < text.length(); i++) {
                 System.out.println("Character at index " + i + ": " + text.charAt(i));
             }
         }
     }
     

If You Need a Substring

If you need more than one character, use the substring() method:

String text = "Hello, World!";
String substring = text.substring(7, 12); // "World"

Let me know if you have any additional questions!