FormatStyle (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.time.format.FormatStyle class
Date: 2026-04-17

compact1, compact2, compact3
java.time.format

## Enum FormatStyle

- java.lang.Object
- - java.lang.Enum<FormatStyle>
  - - java.time.format.FormatStyle

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Serializable, Comparable<FormatStyle>

      public enum FormatStyle
      extends Enum<FormatStyle>

  Enumeration of the style of a localized date, time or date-time formatter.

  These styles are used when obtaining a date-time style from configuration. See `DateTimeFormatter` and `DateTimeFormatterBuilder` for usage.

  Implementation Requirements:
    This is an immutable and thread-safe enum.
  Since:
    1.8

- - ### Enum Constant Summary

    Enum Constants
    Enum Constant and Description
    `FULL` Full text style, with the most detail.
    `LONG` Long text style, with lots of detail.
    `MEDIUM` Medium text style, with some detail.
    `SHORT` Short text style, typically numeric.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Static Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `static FormatStyle` | `valueOf(String name)` Returns the enum constant of this type with the specified name.
    `static FormatStyle[]` | `values()` Returns an array containing the constants of this enum type, in the order they are declared.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Enum

      `clone, compareTo, equals, finalize, getDeclaringClass, hashCode, name, ordinal, toString, valueOf`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Enum Constant Detail

    - #### FULL

          public static final FormatStyle FULL

      Full text style, with the most detail. For example, the format might be 'Tuesday, April 12, 1952 AD' or '3:30:42pm PST'.

    - #### LONG

          public static final FormatStyle LONG

      Long text style, with lots of detail. For example, the format might be 'January 12, 1952'.

    - #### MEDIUM

          public static final FormatStyle MEDIUM

      Medium text style, with some detail. For example, the format might be 'Jan 12, 1952'.

    - #### SHORT

          public static final FormatStyle SHORT

      Short text style, typically numeric. For example, the format might be '12.13.52' or '3:30pm'.

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### values

          public static FormatStyle[] values()

      Returns an array containing the constants of this enum type, in the order they are declared. This method may be used to iterate over the constants as follows:

          for (FormatStyle c : FormatStyle.values())
              System.out.println(c);

      Returns:
        an array containing the constants of this enum type, in the order they are declared

    - #### valueOf

          public static FormatStyle valueOf(String name)

      Returns the enum constant of this type with the specified name. The string must match exactly an identifier used to declare an enum constant in this type. (Extraneous whitespace characters are not permitted.)
      Parameters:
        `name` - the name of the enum constant to be returned.
      Returns:
        the enum constant with the specified name
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if this enum type has no constant with the specified name
        `NullPointerException` - if the argument is null

Submit a bug or feature
For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java SE Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.
Copyright © 1993, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.