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+---
+layout: default
+title: Trying MF 2.0 Final Candidate
+nav_order: 3
+parent: Formatting Messages
+grand_parent: Formatting
+---
+<!--
+© 2023 and later: Unicode, Inc. and others.
+License & terms of use: http://www.unicode.org/copyright.html
+-->
+
+# Trying MF 2.0 Final Candidate
+{: .no_toc }
+
+## Contents
+{: .no_toc .text-delta }
+
+1. TOC
+{:toc}
+
+---
+
+# Hello `MessageFormat2`
+
+
+
+
+## C++ Linux & macOS
+
+
+1. Prepare a sandbox folder
+    ```sh
+    export ICU_SANDBOX=~/hello_icu_mf2
+    mkdir $ICU_SANDBOX
+    cd $ICU_SANDBOX
+    ```
+
+1. Build ICU4C (you only need to do this once)
+
+
+    ```sh
+    git clone https://github.com/unicode-org/icu.git
+    pushd icu/icu4c/source
+
+    # Run this and choose the platform and toolchain you prefer
+    ./runConfigureICU --help
+
+    # if macOS
+    ./runConfigureICU macOS/gcc
+    # else if Linux  (gcc is just an example, there are 5 Linux options)
+    ./runConfigureICU Linux/gcc
+    # end
+
+    export DESTDIR=$ICU_SANDBOX/icu_release
+    make -j8 releaseDist
+    popd
+    ```
+
+1. Create a minimal C++ file here (in the $$ICU_SANDBOX folder).
+Let's call it `hello_mf2.cpp`
+    ```cpp
+    // hello_mf2.cpp
+    #include <iostream>
+
+    #include "unicode/utypes.h"
+    #include "unicode/calendar.h"
+    #include "unicode/errorcode.h"
+    #include "unicode/locid.h"
+    #include "unicode/messageformat2.h"
+
+    using namespace icu;
+
+    int main() {
+       ErrorCode errorCode;
+       UParseError parseError;
+
+       icu::Calendar* cal(Calendar::createInstance(errorCode));
+       cal->set(2025, Calendar::JANUARY, 28);
+       UDate date = cal->getTime(errorCode);
+
+       message2::MessageFormatter::Builder builder(errorCode);
+       message2::MessageFormatter mf = builder
+           .setPattern("Hello {$user}, today is {$now :date style=long}!", parseError, errorCode)
+           .setLocale(Locale("en_US"))
+           .build(errorCode);
+
+       std::map<UnicodeString, message2::Formattable> argsBuilder;
+       argsBuilder["user"] = message2::Formattable("John");
+       argsBuilder["now"] = message2::Formattable::forDate(date);
+       message2::MessageArguments arguments(argsBuilder, errorCode);
+
+       icu::UnicodeString result = mf.formatToString(arguments, errorCode);
+       std::string strResult;
+       result.toUTF8String(strResult);
+       std::cout << strResult << std::endl;
+    }
+    ```
+
+1. Build your application and run it
+    ```sh
+    g++ hello_mf2.cpp -I$DESTDIR/usr/local/include -std=c++17 -L$DESTDIR/usr/local/lib -licuuc -licudata -licui18n
+
+    # if macOS
+    DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DESTDIR/usr/local/lib ./a.out
+    # else if Linux
+    LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DESTDIR/usr/local/lib ./a.out
+    # end
+    ```
+
+## C++ Windows
+
+
+WORK in PROGRESS
+
+
+## Java
+
+We will assume that if you are interested in testing a pre-release Java library
+you already have (or know how to install) a JDK, Apache Maven, git,
+know how to create a project in your favorite IDE, and so on.
+
+### What you need
+
+* JDK, any version between 8 and 23
+* Apache Maven
+
+### Instructions
+
+1. Create a new Maven project
+    ```sh
+    mvn archetype:generate -DgroupId=com.mycompany.app -DartifactId=hello_icu_mf2 -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart -DarchetypeVersion=1.5 -DinteractiveMode=false
+
+    cd hello_icu_mf2
+    ```
+
+1. Edit the `pom.xml` file
+
+    1. The project created as above uses the Java 17 version.
+    If you are using a lower version then change `<maven.compiler.release>` property to whatever Java version you are using.
+        ```sh
+        # Example on how to set the Java version to 11
+        mvn versions:set-property -Dproperty=maven.compiler.release -DnewVersion=11
+        ```
+
+    1. Add this to `<dependencies>`
+        ```xml
+        <dependency>
+          <groupId>com.ibm.icu</groupId>
+          <artifactId>icu4j</artifactId>
+          <version>77.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        </dependency>
+        ```
+        **Warning:** make sure it is done in `dependencies`, not in `dependencyManagement / dependencies`
+
+1. Change the `src/test/java/com/mycompany/app/AppTest.java` file
+    1. Add a new test method
+        ```java
+        @Test
+        public void testMessageFormat2() {
+           MessageFormatter mf2 = MessageFormatter.builder()
+               .setLocale(Locale.US)
+               .setPattern("Hello {$user}, today is {$now :date style=long}!")
+               .build();
+           Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
+           cal.set(2025, 0, 28);
+
+
+           Map<String, Object> arguments = new HashMap<>();
+           arguments.put("user", "John");
+           arguments.put("now", cal);
+           System.out.println(mf2.formatToString(arguments));
+        }
+        ```
+    1. Add imports
+        ```java
+        import java.util.Date;
+        import java.util.HashMap;
+        import java.util.Locale;
+        import java.util.Map;
+        import com.ibm.icu.message2.MessageFormatter;
+        ```
+
+1. Now run the tests
+    ```sh
+    mvn package -q
+    ```
+
+1. This will output
+    ```
+    Hello John, today is January 13, 2025!
+    ```