# Format
Date: 2013-02-18

## org.simpleframework.xml.stream
Class Format

    java.lang.Object
      org.simpleframework.xml.stream.Format

    public class Format

extends java.lang.Object

The `Format` object is used to provide information on how a generated XML document should be structured. The information provided tells the formatter whether an XML prolog is required and the number of spaces that should be used for indenting. The prolog specified will be written directly before the XML document.

Should a `Format` be created with an indent of zero or less then no indentation is done, and the generated XML will be on the same line. The prolog can contain any legal XML heading, which can domain a DTD declaration and XML comments if required.

Author:
  Niall Gallagher

Constructor Summary
`Format()` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, java.lang.String prolog)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, java.lang.String prolog, Style style)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, java.lang.String prolog, Style style, Verbosity verbosity)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, Style style)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, Style style, Verbosity verbosity)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(int indent, Verbosity verbosity)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(java.lang.String prolog)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(Style style)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(Style style, Verbosity verbosity)` Constructor for the `Format` object.
`Format(Verbosity verbosity)` Constructor for the `Format` object.

Method Summary
`int` `getIndent()` This method returns the size of the indent to use for the XML generated.
`java.lang.String` `getProlog()` This method returns the prolog that is to be used at the start of the generated XML document.
`Style` `getStyle()` This is used to acquire the `Style` for the format.
`Verbosity` `getVerbosity()` This method is used to indicate the preference of verbosity for the resulting XML.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

Constructor Detail

### Format

    public Format()

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses an indent size of three.

### Format

    public Format(int indent)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and a null prolog, which means no prolog is generated.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent

### Format

    public Format(java.lang.String prolog)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified prolog that is to be inserted at the start of the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `prolog` - this is the prolog for the generated XML document

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  java.lang.String prolog)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and the text to use in the generated prolog.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `prolog` - this is the prolog for the generated XML document

### Format

    public Format(Verbosity verbosity)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified style to style the attributes and elements of the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `verbosity` - this indicates the verbosity of the format

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  Verbosity verbosity)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified style to style the attributes and elements of the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `verbosity` - this indicates the verbosity of the format

### Format

    public Format(Style style)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified style to style the attributes and elements of the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object

### Format

    public Format(Style style,
                  Verbosity verbosity)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified style to style the attributes and elements of the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object
    `verbosity` - this indicates the verbosity of the format

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  Style style)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and the style provided to style the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  Style style,
                  Verbosity verbosity)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and the style provided to style the XML document.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object
    `verbosity` - this indicates the verbosity of the format

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  java.lang.String prolog,
                  Style style)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and the text to use in the generated prolog.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `prolog` - this is the prolog for the generated XML document
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object

### Format

    public Format(int indent,
                  java.lang.String prolog,
                  Style style,
                  Verbosity verbosity)

  Constructor for the `Format` object. This creates an object that is used to describe how the formatter should create the XML document. This constructor uses the specified indent size and the text to use in the generated prolog.

  Parameters:
    `indent` - this is the number of spaces used in the indent
    `prolog` - this is the prolog for the generated XML document
    `style` - this is the style to apply to the format object
    `verbosity` - this indicates the verbosity of the format

Method Detail

### getIndent

    public int getIndent()

  This method returns the size of the indent to use for the XML generated. The indent size represents the number of spaces that are used for the indent, and indent of zero means no indenting.

  Returns:
    returns the number of spaces to used for indenting

### getProlog

    public java.lang.String getProlog()

  This method returns the prolog that is to be used at the start of the generated XML document. This allows a DTD or a version to be specified at the start of a document. If this returns null then no prolog is written to the start of the XML document.

  Returns:
    this returns the prolog for the start of the document

### getStyle

    public Style getStyle()

  This is used to acquire the `Style` for the format. If no style has been set a default style is used, which does not modify the attributes and elements that are used to build the resulting XML document.

  Returns:
    this returns the style used for this format object

### getVerbosity

    public Verbosity getVerbosity()

  This method is used to indicate the preference of verbosity for the resulting XML. This is typically used when default serialization is used. It ensures that the various types that are serialized are of either high or low verbosity.

  Returns:
    this returns the verbosity preference for the XML