Java TextStyle Enum
Last modified: April 16, 2025
The java.time.format.TextStyle enum defines text styles for
formatting and parsing date-time text. It is used with DateTimeFormatter
to control how text is displayed. The enum provides several formatting options.
TextStyle is immutable and thread-safe. It is commonly used when
formatting dates, times, or date-time values to strings. The styles range from
full names to short abbreviations. The enum works with locale-sensitive text.
TextStyle Enum Overview
TextStyle provides constants for different text formatting styles.
Key styles include full, short, and narrow representations. The enum is used
with DateTimeFormatterBuilder to customize output formats.
public enum TextStyle {
FULL,
FULL_STANDALONE,
SHORT,
SHORT_STANDALONE,
NARROW,
NARROW_STANDALONE
}
The code above shows all constants provided by TextStyle. These
values control how text is formatted in date-time strings. STANDALONE variants
are used when the text appears alone rather than in a complete date.
Basic TextStyle Usage
The simplest way to use TextStyle is with DateTimeFormatter. Each style produces different output for the same temporal field. The example shows month formatting.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.Month;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Month month = Month.JANUARY;
Locale locale = Locale.US;
System.out.println("FULL: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, locale));
System.out.println("SHORT: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.SHORT, locale));
System.out.println("NARROW: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.NARROW, locale));
}
}
This example demonstrates basic TextStyle usage with Month enum. The output shows different text representations for January. FULL gives complete name, SHORT gives abbreviation, and NARROW gives minimal representation.
Standalone vs Regular Styles
TextStyle provides standalone variants for use when text appears alone rather than in a complete date. Some languages have different forms for these cases.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.Month;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Month month = Month.JANUARY;
Locale russian = new Locale("ru", "RU");
System.out.println("FULL: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, russian));
System.out.println("FULL_STANDALONE: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL_STANDALONE, russian));
System.out.println("SHORT: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.SHORT, russian));
System.out.println("SHORT_STANDALONE: " +
month.getDisplayName(TextStyle.SHORT_STANDALONE, russian));
}
}
This example shows differences between regular and standalone styles in Russian. Some languages like Russian have different grammatical forms for standalone use. The output demonstrates these variations for January.
Week Day Formatting
TextStyle can format days of week with different styles. The example shows formatting for Tuesday in various styles and locales.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.DayOfWeek;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
DayOfWeek tuesday = DayOfWeek.TUESDAY;
System.out.println("English FULL: " +
tuesday.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.US));
System.out.println("English SHORT: " +
tuesday.getDisplayName(TextStyle.SHORT, Locale.US));
System.out.println("French FULL: " +
tuesday.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.FRANCE));
System.out.println("French NARROW: " +
tuesday.getDisplayName(TextStyle.NARROW, Locale.FRANCE));
}
}
This example demonstrates day of week formatting with TextStyle. The output shows Tuesday in different styles and languages. Note how NARROW style in French uses single character while English uses two.
With DateTimeFormatter
TextStyle is often used with DateTimeFormatter to customize date formatting. The example shows building a formatter with specific text styles.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalDate date = LocalDate.of(2025, 4, 15);
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("MMMM dd, yyyy", Locale.US)
.withTextStyle(TextStyle.FULL);
System.out.println("Full style: " + date.format(formatter));
DateTimeFormatter shortFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("MMM dd, yyyy", Locale.US)
.withTextStyle(TextStyle.SHORT);
System.out.println("Short style: " + date.format(shortFormatter));
}
}
This example shows TextStyle used with DateTimeFormatter. The formatter is configured to use either FULL or SHORT style for month names. The output demonstrates the difference in formatting.
Locale-Sensitive Formatting
TextStyle produces different output based on locale. The example shows how month names vary across languages using the same text style.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.Month;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Month april = Month.APRIL;
System.out.println("English: " +
april.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.US));
System.out.println("German: " +
april.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.GERMANY));
System.out.println("Japanese: " +
april.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.JAPAN));
System.out.println("Chinese: " +
april.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.CHINA));
}
}
This example demonstrates locale-sensitive month formatting with TextStyle. The output shows "April" in different languages. Each locale may have completely different text representations for the same month.
Combining TextStyles
Different TextStyles can be used for different parts of a date format. The example shows a custom format with mixed styles.
package com.zetcode;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.time.format.TextStyle;
import java.util.Locale;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalDate date = LocalDate.of(2025, 4, 15);
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("EEEE, MMMM dd, yyyy", Locale.US)
.withTextStyle(TextStyle.FULL);
System.out.println("Mixed styles: " + date.format(formatter));
DateTimeFormatter shortDayFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("E, MMMM dd, yyyy", Locale.US)
.withTextStyle(TextStyle.SHORT);
System.out.println("Short day style: " + date.format(shortDayFormatter));
}
}
This example shows combining different text styles in one formatter. The pattern uses EEEE for full weekday name and MMMM for full month name. The second formatter uses E for abbreviated weekday name.
Source
Java TextStyle Enum Documentation
In this article, we've covered the essential values and features of the Java TextStyle enum. Understanding these concepts is crucial for proper date-time text formatting in Java applications.
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