The toString() Method

• In Java, every helper class should have a toString() - it returns a string version of the object showing the values of the attributes.

• This allows your programs that use the class to print the object.

• The signature for the toString() method is the same for every helper class:

  public String toString() 

• If you have a String variable called xyz and you want to set it to a string representing the object, you would write code like this:

  String xyz = object.toString();

• When your code sends an object of your class to println(), your toString() is called automaticallly.

  So code your calls to print an object like this:

  System.out.println(object);