从Java 11开始，string. repeat(int)可以用来左右填充给定的字符串。

System.out.println("*".repeat(5)+"apple");
System.out.println("apple"+"*".repeat(5));

输出:

*****apple
apple*****

public static String padLeft(String in, int size, char padChar) {                
    if (in.length() <= size) {
        char[] temp = new char[size];
        /* Llenado Array con el padChar*/
        for(int i =0;i<size;i++){
            temp[i]= padChar;
        }
        int posIniTemp = size-in.length();
        for(int i=0;i<in.length();i++){
            temp[posIniTemp]=in.charAt(i);
            posIniTemp++;
        }            
        return new String(temp);
    }
    return "";
}

下面是另一种向右填充的方法:

// put the number of spaces, or any character you like, in your paddedString

String paddedString = "--------------------";

String myStringToBePadded = "I like donuts";

myStringToBePadded = myStringToBePadded + paddedString.substring(myStringToBePadded.length());

//result:
myStringToBePadded = "I like donuts-------";

public static String LPad(String str, Integer length, char car) {
  return (str + String.format("%" + length + "s", "").replace(" ", String.valueOf(car))).substring(0, length);
}

public static String RPad(String str, Integer length, char car) {
  return (String.format("%" + length + "s", "").replace(" ", String.valueOf(car)) + str).substring(str.length(), length + str.length());
}

LPad("Hi", 10, 'R') //gives "RRRRRRRRHi"
RPad("Hi", 10, 'R') //gives "HiRRRRRRRR"
RPad("Hi", 10, ' ') //gives "Hi        "
RPad("Hi", 1, ' ')  //gives "H"
//etc...

我花了一点时间才想明白。 真正的关键是阅读Formatter文档。

// Get your data from wherever.
final byte[] data = getData();
// Get the digest engine.
final MessageDigest md5= MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5");
// Send your data through it.
md5.update(data);
// Parse the data as a positive BigInteger.
final BigInteger digest = new BigInteger(1,md5.digest());
// Pad the digest with blanks, 32 wide.
String hex = String.format(
    // See: http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/api/java/util/Formatter.html
    // Format: %[argument_index$][flags][width]conversion
    // Conversion: 'x', 'X'  integral    The result is formatted as a hexadecimal integer
    "%1$32x",
    digest
);
// Replace the blank padding with 0s.
hex = hex.replace(" ","0");
System.out.println(hex);

你可以使用内置的StringBuilder append()和insert()方法， 对于可变字符串长度的填充:

AbstractStringBuilder append(CharSequence s, int start, int end) ;

例如:

private static final String  MAX_STRING = "                    "; //20 spaces

    Set<StringBuilder> set= new HashSet<StringBuilder>();
    set.add(new StringBuilder("12345678"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("123456789"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("1234567811"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("12345678123"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("1234567812234"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("1234567812222"));
    set.add(new StringBuilder("12345678122334"));

    for(StringBuilder padMe: set)
        padMe.append(MAX_STRING, padMe.length(), MAX_STRING.length());