What is the purpose of the StringTokenizer class in Java?

The StringTokenizer class in Java is used to break a string into smaller tokens. It is part of the java.util package and is commonly used to parse strings in Java. It takes a string as input and breaks it down into individual tokens based on a delimiter. The delimiter is defined as any character or set of characters that separates the tokens.

The class provides several methods to get the tokens, including nextToken(), hasMoreTokens(), countTokens(), and more. It is useful for parsing text data that has a consistent format, such as CSV files. The class is also used in various places in the Java API, such as the java.io package.

While the StringTokenizer class is useful for simple parsing, it has some limitations. For example, it does not provide a way to handle delimiters that occur within quotes or other special characters. Additionally, it does not provide a way to handle multi-character delimiters.

Overall, the StringTokenizer class is a useful tool for parsing strings in Java. It is efficient and easy to use, making it a popular choice for simple parsing tasks.