Convert String to Character Array in Java

General Discussions
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4

For a modern Java 8+ approach, you can use Streams to transform the string into an array in a clean and efficient way.

import java.util.Arrays;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String word = "name";
        String[] letters = word.chars()
                               .mapToObj(c -> String.valueOf((char) c))
                               .toArray(String[]::new);

        System.out.println(Arrays.toString(letters));
    }
}

:white_check_mark: Why use this?

  • Modern and concise—uses Java Streams for an elegant solution.
  • Efficient processing—can easily add transformations while converting characters.

:rotating_light: When to avoid?

  • If you’re not familiar with Java Streams or working with older Java versions.
  • Slightly more complex than split("") for simple use cases