Friday, June 19, 2026
HomeData Modelling & AISolid square inside a hollow square | Pattern

Solid square inside a hollow square | Pattern

Given the value of n, print a hollow square of side length n and inside it a solid square of side length (n – 4) using stars(*). 
Examples : 
 

Input : n = 6
Output :
******
*    *
* ** *
* ** *
*    *
******

Input : n = 11
Output :
***********
*         *
* ******* *
* ******* *
* ******* *
* ******* *
* ******* *
* ******* *
* ******* *
*         *
***********

 

 

C++




// C++ implementation to print
// solid square inside a hollow square
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
  
// function to print the required pattern
void print_Pattern(int n) 
{
    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
    for (int j = 1; j <= n; j++) {
          
    // First two conditions are for outer
    // hollow square and next two conditions
    // are for inner solid square
    if ((i == 1 || i == n) || (j == 1 || j == n) ||
        (i >= 3 && i <= n - 2) && (j >= 3 && j <= n - 2))
        cout<< "*";
  
    else
        cout<< " ";
    }
  
    cout<<endl;
}
}
  
// Driver Code
int main() 
{
    // Take n as input
    int n = 6; 
   
    // function calling
    print_Pattern(n);
      
    return 0;
}


Java




// Java implementation to print
// solid square inside a hollow square
import java.io.*;
  
class GFG 
{
    // function to print the required pattern
    static void print_Pattern(int n) 
    {
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) 
        {
            for (int j = 1; j <= n; j++) 
            {
                  
            // First two conditions are for outer
            // hollow square and next two conditions
            // are for inner solid square
            if ((i == 1 || i == n) || (j == 1 || j == n) ||
                (i >= 3 && i <= n - 2) && (j >= 3 && j <= n - 2))
                System.out.print("*");
          
            else
                System.out.print(" ");
            }
      
        System.out.println();
        }
    }
      
    // Driver Code
    public static void main (String[] args) 
    {
        // Take n as input
        int n = 6;
          
        // function calling
        print_Pattern(n);
          
    }
}
  
// This code is contributed by vt_m.


Python3




# Python3 implementation to print
# solid square inside a hollow square
  
# Function to print the required pattern
def print_Pattern(n): 
  
    for i in range(1, n + 1):
        for j in range(1, n + 1): 
          
        # First two conditions are for outer
        # hollow square and next two conditions
        # are for inner solid square
            if ((i == 1 or i == n) or
                (j == 1 or j == n) or
                (i >= 3 and i <= n - 2) and
                (j >= 3 and j <= n - 2)):
                print("*", end = "")
  
            else:
                print(end = " ")
  
        print()
  
# Driver Code
n = 6
print_Pattern(n)
      
# This code is contributed by Azkia Anam.


C#




// C# implementation to print solid square
// inside a hollow square
using System;
  
class GFG {
      
    // function to print the required
    // pattern
    static void print_Pattern(int n) 
    {
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) 
        {
            for (int j = 1; j <= n; j++) 
            {
                  
            // First two conditions are 
            // for outer hollow square 
            // and next two conditions
            // are for inner solid square
            if ((i == 1 || i == n) || 
                (j == 1 || j == n) ||
               (i >= 3 && i <= n - 2) && 
                 (j >= 3 && j <= n - 2))
                Console.Write("*");
          
            else
                Console.Write(" ");
            }
      
            Console.WriteLine();
        }
    }
      
    // Driver Code
    public static void Main () 
    {
          
        // Take n as input
        int n = 6;
          
        // function calling
        print_Pattern(n);
    }
}
  
// This code is contributed by vt_m.


PHP




<?php
// PHP implementation to print
// solid square inside a hollow square
  
// Function to print the required pattern
function print_Pattern($n
{
    for ($i = 1; $i <= $n; $i++) 
    {
        for ($j = 1; $j <= $n; $j++) 
        {
          
            // First two conditions are 
            // for outer hollow square and 
            // next two conditions are for 
            // inner solid square
            if (($i == 1 || $i == $n) || 
                ($j == 1 || $j == $n) ||
                ($i >= 3 && $i <= $n - 2) && 
                ($j >= 3 && $j <= $n - 2))
                echo "*";
          
            else
                echo " ";
        }
        echo "\n";
    }
}
  
// Driver Code
$n = 6; 
print_Pattern($n);
  
// This code is contributed by Mithun Kumar
?>


Javascript




<script>
      // JavaScript implementation to print
      // solid square inside a hollow square
  
      // function to print the required pattern
      function print_Pattern(n)
      {
        for (var i = 1; i <= n; i++)
        {
          for (var j = 1; j <= n; j++) 
          {
            
            // First two conditions are for outer
            // hollow square and next two conditions
            // are for inner solid square
            if (
              i == 1 ||
              i == n ||
              j == 1 ||
              j == n ||
              (i >= 3 && i <= n - 2 && j >= 3 && j <= n - 2)
            )
              document.write("*");
            else document.write("  ");
          }
  
          document.write("<br>");
        }
      }
  
      // Driver Code
      // Take n as input
      var n = 6;
  
      // function calling
      print_Pattern(n);
        
      // This code is contributed by rdtank.
    </script>


Output : 
 

******
*    *
* ** *
* ** *
*    *
******

Time complexity: O(n2) for given input n
 Auxiliary Space: O(1)

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