StringRepetitionOperator
DRAFT

Misconception:

In Java, the multiplication operator can be used to multiply a String by a number. The result of such an expression is a new String that corresponds to the given String repeated the given number of times.

The multiplication operator can repeat a String a number of times

The multiplication operator does not accept a String and a number

Java’s multiplication operator only works for numbers. It does not support the repetition of Strings. To repeat a String a given number of times, one can use a loop.

If students previously learned Python, they may inappropriately transfer this idea from Python (where such an operator exists) to Java.

Java

jls13

15.17 Multiplicative Operators

String Number Repetition

expression involving String and integer

JavaScript

StringRepetitionOperator

Python

NoSequenceRepetition