Find target digit of an integer

Question

What methods can I employ to return a specific digit of an integer?

//val = number to find target digit on
//dig = the digit to return from right-side
private int digit(int val, int dig) {
    String num = "" + val;
    return Character.getNumericValue(num.charAt(num.length-dig));
}

For example, if val were "48602" and I wanted to grab the 2nd digits (tenths), it would return "0".

Here's an ugly way to do it, but is there a way without using strings at all? Perhaps with modulo? What if I wanted to find the 7th digit (millionths), this method wouldn't even work (the number would have to be parsed as "0048602").

Potential use would be for a Radix sort (putting numbers into "buckets" based on significant digits). I'm finding using this method is relatively taxing.

Answer 1

There is an idea

private int digit(int val,int dig){
    int div = 1;
    for(int i=0;i<dig;i++)
        div*=10; //make 10^dig
    val/=div; //remove the smaller digits
    return val%10; //return only one digit
}

Not tested

EDIT better way:

private int digit(int val,int dig){
    int div = (int)Math.pow(10,dig);
    val/=div; //remove the smaller digits
    return val%10; //return only one digit
}