Line breaks and tabs
Description
\n starts a new line and \t inserts a tab.
Explanation
They are interpreted inside a quoted Java string.
Example
System.out.println("Name\tScore\nAditi\t92");← Chapter 3 — Strings, Escapes & Math
14. Escape Sequences
mixed
Description
Escape sequences represent characters that are hard to type directly inside a String. They begin with a backslash.
Use escapes to add new lines, tabs, quotation marks, or a literal backslash. This is especially useful for formatted messages and file paths.
Subtopics
Quotes and backslashes
Description
Escape quote and backslash characters.
Explanation
A backslash changes the meaning of the character after it.
Example
String quote = "She said \"Great!\"";Explanation
Do not confuse the two-character text \n with an actual line break. Java interprets it as a line break only inside a String or character literal.
Example
public class EscapeDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Student\tGrade");
System.out.println("Aditi\tA");
}
}Key points
- \n creates a new line.
- \t inserts a tab.
- \" places a quote inside text.