Tiger brings printf-style formatted output to the world of Java programming; and this month, columnist John Zukowski discusses all facets of the C-inspired support for printf and format strings.

The Properties class is an old favorite, around since the beginning of Java programming time with very few changes. The Tiger release of J2SE enhances this class, which allows you not only to use it to specify key-value pairs on a single line separated by an equal sign, but also to use XML files to load and save those key-value pairs. In this installment of "Taming Tiger", John Zukowski demonstrates how to use this updated work horse.

Sun has quietly released an alpha version of J2SE 1.5, also known as "Tiger," and developer John Zukowski is in the big top ready to start his Tiger-taming act. This new column details the changes to the platform and provides examples for quick reference. In this first article, John shows you where to get the pre-release software and how to install it.