BigDecimal movePointLeft() Method in Java

Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
prerequisite : BigDecimal Basics The java.math.BigDecimal.movePointLeft(int n) method is used to move the decimal point of the current BigDecimal by n places to the left.
  • If n is non-negative, the call merely adds n to the scale.
  • If n is negative, the call is equivalent to movePointRight(-n).
The BigDecimal value returned by this method has value (this × 10-n) and scale max(this.scale()+n, 0). Syntax:
public BigDecimal movePointLeft(int n)
Parameter: The method takes one parameter n of integer type which refers to the number of places the decimal point is required to be moved towards the left. Return Value: The method returns the same BigDecimal value with the decimal point moved n places to the left. Exception: The method throws an ArithmeticException if the scale overflows. Examples:
Input: value = 2300.9856, Leftshift = 3
Output: 2.3009856
Explanation:
while shifting the decimal point of 2300.9856 
by 3 places to the left, 2.3009856 is obtained
Alternate way: 2300.9856*10^(-3)=2.3009856

Input: value = 35001, Leftshift = 2
Output: 350.01
Below program illustrate the movePointLeft() method of BigDecimal: Java
// Program to demonstrate movePointLeft() method of BigDecimal 

import java.math.*;

public class GFG {

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        // Create BigDecimal object
        BigDecimal bigdecimal = new BigDecimal("2300.9856");

        // Create a int i for decimal left move distance
        int i = 3;

        // Call movePointLeft() method on BigDecimal by shift i
        // Store the return value as BigDecimal
        BigDecimal changedvalue = bigdecimal.movePointLeft(i);

        String result = "After applying decimal move left by move Distance " 
        + i + " on " + bigdecimal + " New Value is " + changedvalue;

        // Print result
        System.out.println(result);
    }
}
Output:
After applying decimal move left by move Distance 3 on 2300.9856 New Value is 2.3009856
Reference:https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/math/BigDecimal.html#movePointLeft(int)
Comment