Chapter 16 – Files and
Streams
Goals
To be able to read and write text files
To become familiar with the concepts of text
and binary formats
To learn about encryption
To understand when to use sequential and
random file access
To be able to read and write objects using
serialization
keyboard
standard
input stream
CPU
standard
output MEM
monitor stream
terminal
console
HDD
What does information
travel across?
Streams
keyboard
standard
input stream
CPU
standard
output MEM
monitor stream
terminal file
console input
stream
LOAD HDD
What does information READ
travel across? file
files output
Streams
stream
SAVE
WRITE
Reading and Writing Text Files
Text files – files containing simple text
Created with editors such as notepad, html, etc.
Simplest way to learn it so extend our use of
Scanner
Associate with files instead of [Link]
All input classes, except Scanner, are in [Link]
import [Link].*;
Review: Scanner
We've seen Scanner before
The constructor takes an object of type
[Link] – stores information
about the connection between an input device
and the computer or program
Example: [Link]
Recall – only associate one instance of
Scanner with [Link] in your program
Otherwise, get bugs
Numerical Input
2 ways (we’ve learned one, seen the other)
Use int as example, similar for double
First way:
Use nextInt()
int number = [Link]();
Second way:
Use nextLine(), [Link]()
String input = [Link]();
int number = [Link](input);
Numerical Input
Exceptions
nextInt() throws InputMismatchException
parseInt() throws NumberFormatException
Optimal use
nextInt() when there is multiple information on
one line
nextLine() + parseInt() when one number
per line
Reading Files
The same applies for both console input and
file input
We can use a different version of a Scanner
that takes a File instead of [Link]
Everything works the same!
Reading Files
To read from a disk file, construct a FileReader
Then, use the FileReader to construct a Scanner
object
FileReader rdr = newFileReader("[Link]");
Scanner fin = new Scanner(rdr);
Reading Files
You can use File instead of FileReader
Has an exists() method we can call to avoid
FileNotFoundException
File file = new File ("[Link]");
Scanner fin;
if([Link]()){
fin = new Scanner(file);
} else {
//ask for another file
}
Reading Files
Once we have a Scanner, we can use methods
we already know:
next, nextLine, nextInt, etc.
Reads the information from the file instead of
console
File Class
[Link]
associated with an actual file on hard drive
used to check file's status
Constructors
File(<full path>)
File(<path>, <filename>)
Methods
exists()
canRead(), canWrite()
isFile(), isDirectory()
File Class
[Link]
Associated with File object
Translates data bytes from File object into a
stream of characters (much like InputStream vs.
InputStreamReader)
Constructors
FileReader( <File object> );
Methods
read(), readLine()
close()
Writing to a File
We will use a PrintWriter object to write to a
file
What if file already exists? Empty file
Doesn’t exist? Create empty file with that name
How do we use a PrintWriter object?
Have we already seen one?
Writing to a File
The out field of the System class is a
PrintWriter object associated with the console
We will associate our PrintWriter with a file now
PrintWriter fout = new PrintWriter("[Link]");
[Link](29.95);
[Link](new Rectangle(5, 10, 15, 25));
[Link]("Hello, World!");
This will print the exact same information as with
[Link] (except to a file “[Link]”)!
Closing a File
Only main difference is that we have to close
the file stream when we are done writing
If we do not, not all output will written
At the end of output, call close()
[Link]();
Closing a File
Why?
When you call print() and/or println(), the
output is actually written to a buffer. When you
close or flush the output, the buffer is written to
the file
The slowest part of the computer is hard drive
operations – much more efficient to write once
instead of writing repeated times
File Locations
When determining a file name, the default is to
place in the same directory as your .class files
If we want to define other place, use an
absolute path (e.g. c:\My Documents)
in = new
FileReader(“c:\\homework\\[Link]”);
Why \\ ?
Sample Program
Two things to notice:
Have to import from [Link]
I/O requires us to catch checked exceptions
[Link]
Java Input Review
CONSOLE:
Scanner stdin = new Scanner( [Link] );
FILE:
Scanner inFile = new Scanner( new
FileReader(srcFileName ));
Java Output Review
CONSOLE:
[Link]("To the screen");
FILE:
PrintWriter fout =
new PrintWriter(new File("[Link]");
[Link]("To a file");
import [Link];
import [Link];
import [Link];
import [Link];
public class LineNumberer{
public static void main(String[] args){
Scanner console = new Scanner([Link]);
[Link]("Input file: ");
String inFile = [Link]();
[Link]("Output file: ");
String outFile = [Link]();
try{
FileReader reader = new FileReader(inFile);
Scanner in = new Scanner(reader);
PrintWriter out = new
PrintWriter(outputFileName);
int lineNumber = 1;
while ([Link]()){
String line = [Link]();
[Link]("/* " + lineNumber + " */ " +
line);
lineNumber++;
}
[Link]();
} catch (IOException exception){
[Link]("Error processing file: "
+ exception);
}
}
}
An Encryption Program
Demonstration: Use encryption to show file
techniques
File encryption
To scramble a file so that it is readable only to
those who know the encryption method and secret
keyword
(Big area of CS in terms of commercial
applications – biometrics, 128-bit encryption
breaking, etc.)
Modifications of Output
Two constraints so far:
Files are overwritten
Output is buffered and not written immediately
We have options to get around this
File Class
[Link]
Associated with File object
Connects an output stream to write bytes of info
Constructors
FileWriter( <filename>, <boolean> );
true to append data, false to overwrite all of file
This will overwrite an existing file
To avoid, create File object and see if exists() is true
Java File Output
PrintWriter
composed from several objects
PrintWriter out =
new PrintWriter(
new FileWriter( dstFileName, false ), true );
requires throws FileNotFoundException,
which is a sub class of IOException
Methods
print(), println(): buffers data to write
flush(): sends buffered output to destination
close(): flushes and closes stream
Java File Output
// With append to an existing file
PrintWriter outFile1 =
new PrintWriter(
new FileWriter(dstFileName,true),false);
// With autoflush on println
PrintWriter outFile2 =
new PrintWriter(
new FileWriter(dstFileName,false),true);
[Link]( “appended w/out flush” );
[Link]( “overwrite with flush” );
To flush or not to flush
Advantage to flush:
Safer – guaranteed that all of our data will write to
the file
Disadvantage
Less efficient – writing to file takes up time, more
efficient to flush once (on close)
Caeser Cipher
Encryption key – the function to change the
value
Simple key – shift each letter over by 1 to 25
characters
If key = 3, A D B E etc.
Decryption = reversing the encryption
Here we just subtract the key value
Binary File Encryption
int next = [Link]();
if (next == -1)
done = true;
else {
byte b = (byte) next;
//call the method to encrypt the byte
byte c = encrypt(b);
[Link](c);
}
Object Streams
Last example read BankAccount field
individually
Easier way to deal with whole object
ObjectOutputStream class can save a entire
objects to disk
ObjectOutputStream class can read objects back
in from disk
Objects are saved in binary format; hence, you
use streams and not writers
Write out an object
The object output stream saves all instance variables
BankAccount b = . . .;
ObjectOutputStream out = new
ObjectOutputStream( new
FileOutputStream("[Link]"));
[Link](b);
Read in an object
readObject returns an Object reference
Need to remember the types of the objects that
you saved and use a cast
ObjectInputStream in = new
ObjectInputStream( new
FileInputStream("[Link]"));
BankAccount b = (BankAccount) [Link]();
Exceptions
readObject method can throw a
ClassNotFoundException
It is a checked exception
You must catch or declare it
Writing an Array
Usually want to write out a collection of
objects:
BankAccount[] arr = new BankAccount[size];
// Now add size BankAccount objects into arr
[Link](arr);
Reading an Array
To read a set of objects into an array
BankAccount[] ary = (BankAccount[])
[Link]();
Object Streams
Very powerful features
Especially considering how little we have to do
The BankAccount class as is actually will not
work with the stream
Must implement Serializable interface in order
for the formatting to work
Object Streams
class BankAccount implements Serializable
{
. . .
}
IMPORTANT: Serializable interface has no
methods.
No effort required
Serialization
Serialization: process of saving objects to a
stream
Each object is assigned a serial number on the
stream
If the same object is saved twice, only serial
number is written out the second time
When reading, duplicate serial numbers are
restored as references to the same object
Serialization
Why isn’t everything serializable?
Security reasons – may not want contents of
objects printed out to disk, then anyone can print
out internal structure and analyze it
Example: Don’t want SSN ever being accessed
Could also have temporary variables that are
useless once the program is done running
Tokenizing
Often several text values are in a single line in
a file to be compact
“25 38 36 34 29 60 59”
The line must be broken into parts (i.e. tokens)
“25”
“38”
“36”
tokens then can be parsed as needed
“25” can be turned into the integer 25
Tokenizing
Inputting each value on a new line makes the
file very long
May want a file of customer info – name, age,
phone number all on one line
File usually separate each piece of info with a
delimiter – any special character designating a
new piece of data (space in previous example)
Tokenizing in Java
use a StringTokenizer object
default delimiters are: space, tab, newline, return
requires: import [Link].*
Constructors
StringTokenizer(String line)//default dlms
StringTokenizer(String ln, String dlms)
Methods
hasMoreTokens()
nextToken()
countTokens()
StringTokenizing in Java
Scanner stdin = new…
[Link]( "Enter a line with comma
seperated integers(no space): " );
String input = [Link]();
StringTokenizer st;
String delims = ",";
st = new StringTokenizer( input, delims );
while ( [Link]() )
{
int n = [Link]([Link]());
[Link](n);
}
File gradeFile = new File(“[Link]”);
if([Link]()){
Scanner inFile = new Scanner(gradeFile);
String line = [Link]();
while(line != null){
StringTokenizer st = new
StringTokenizer(line, ":");
[Link](" Name: " + [Link]());
int num = 0;
double sum = 0;
while ( [Link]() )
{
num++;
sum += [Link]([Link]());
}
[Link](" average = "+ sum/num);
line = [Link]();
}
[Link]();
}
If you call nextToken() and there are no more
tokens, NoSuchElementException is thrown
Tokenizing
Scanner tokenizes already…
Scanner in = new Scanner(…);
while([Link]()) {
String str = [Link]();
…
}