# Class FieldPosition

java.lang.Object
java.text.FieldPosition

public class FieldPosition extends Object
`FieldPosition` is a simple class used by `Format` and its subclasses to identify fields in formatted output. Fields can be identified in two ways:

- By an integer constant, whose names typically end with `_FIELD`. The constants are defined in the various subclasses of `Format`.
- By a `Format.Field` constant, see `ERA_FIELD` and its friends in `DateFormat` for an example.

`FieldPosition` keeps track of the position of the field within the formatted output with two indices: the index of the first character of the field and the index of the last character of the field.

One version of the `format` method in the various `Format` classes requires a `FieldPosition` object as an argument. You use this `format` method to perform partial formatting or to get information about the formatted output (such as the position of a field).

If you are interested in the positions of all attributes in the formatted string use the `Format` method `formatToCharacterIterator`.

Since:
  1.1
See Also:
  - `Format`

## Constructor Summary

Constructors
Constructor
Description
`FieldPosition(int field)`
Creates a FieldPosition object for the given field.
`FieldPosition(Format.Field attribute)`
Creates a FieldPosition object for the given field constant.
`FieldPosition(Format.Field attribute, int fieldID)`
Creates a `FieldPosition` object for the given field.

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`boolean`
`equals(Object obj)`
Overrides equals
`int`
`getBeginIndex()`
Retrieves the index of the first character in the requested field.
`int`
`getEndIndex()`
Retrieves the index of the character following the last character in the requested field.
`int`
`getField()`
Retrieves the field identifier.
`Format.Field`
`getFieldAttribute()`
Returns the field identifier as an attribute constant from one of the `Field` subclasses.
`int`
`hashCode()`
Returns a hash code for this FieldPosition.
`void`
`setBeginIndex(int bi)`
Sets the begin index.
`void`
`setEndIndex(int ei)`
Sets the end index.
`String`
`toString()`
Return a string representation of this FieldPosition.

### Methods declared in class Object

`clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

## Constructor Details

### FieldPosition

public FieldPosition(int field)
Creates a FieldPosition object for the given field. Fields are identified by constants, whose names typically end with _FIELD, in the various subclasses of Format.

Parameters:
  `field` - the field identifier
See Also:
  - `NumberFormat.INTEGER_FIELD`
  - `NumberFormat.FRACTION_FIELD`
  - `DateFormat.YEAR_FIELD`
  - `DateFormat.MONTH_FIELD`

### FieldPosition

public FieldPosition(Format.Field attribute)
Creates a FieldPosition object for the given field constant. Fields are identified by constants defined in the various `Format` subclasses. This is equivalent to calling `new FieldPosition(attribute, -1)`.

Parameters:
  `attribute` - Format.Field constant identifying a field
Since:
  1.4

### FieldPosition

public FieldPosition(Format.Field attribute, int fieldID)
Creates a `FieldPosition` object for the given field. The field is identified by an attribute constant from one of the `Field` subclasses as well as an integer field ID defined by the `Format` subclasses. `Format` subclasses that are aware of `Field` should give precedence to `attribute` and ignore `fieldID` if `attribute` is not null. However, older `Format` subclasses may not be aware of `Field` and rely on `fieldID`. If the field has no corresponding integer constant, `fieldID` should be -1.

Parameters:
  `attribute` - Format.Field constant identifying a field
  `fieldID` - integer constant identifying a field
Since:
  1.4

## Method Details

### getFieldAttribute

public Format.Field getFieldAttribute()
Returns the field identifier as an attribute constant from one of the `Field` subclasses. May return null if the field is specified only by an integer field ID.

Returns:
  Identifier for the field
Since:
  1.4

### getField

public int getField()
Retrieves the field identifier.

Returns:
  the field identifier

### getBeginIndex

public int getBeginIndex()
Retrieves the index of the first character in the requested field.

Returns:
  the begin index

### getEndIndex

public int getEndIndex()
Retrieves the index of the character following the last character in the requested field.

Returns:
  the end index

### setBeginIndex

public void setBeginIndex(int bi)
Sets the begin index. For use by subclasses of Format.

Parameters:
  `bi` - the begin index
Since:
  1.2

### setEndIndex

public void setEndIndex(int ei)
Sets the end index. For use by subclasses of Format.

Parameters:
  `ei` - the end index
Since:
  1.2

### equals

public boolean equals(Object obj)
Overrides equals

Overrides:
  `equals` in class `Object`
Parameters:
  `obj` - the reference object with which to compare.
Returns:
  `true` if this object is the same as the obj argument; `false` otherwise.
See Also:
  - `Object.hashCode()`
  - `HashMap`

### hashCode

public int hashCode()
Returns a hash code for this FieldPosition.

Overrides:
  `hashCode` in class `Object`
Returns:
  a hash code for this FieldPosition
See Also:
  - `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`
  - `System.identityHashCode(Object)`

### toString

public String toString()
Return a string representation of this FieldPosition.

Overrides:
  `toString` in class `Object`
Returns:
  a string representation of this object