Formatted Output in Java 1.4.2

[Naveg]

My school is currently running OS X Panther, which renders it unable to install Java 1.5. I have been applying much pressure in an attempt to get them to either update to Tiger or use one of the workarounds that enable a 1.5 install, but no action has been taken yet.

One of the greatest features of Java 1.5 in my mind is the ability to format output (printf(), Formatter). I have not been able to find any reasonably simple way of doing this in earlier versions of Java. Does anyone know of any methods or third-party classes that make formatted output in Java 1.4.2 easier?

[wtd]

Not in the C-style printf sense, but there are ways of formatting things like numbers.

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/text/NumberFormat.html