Java File Handling

Java provides various classes and methods for file handling operations like creating, reading, writing, and deleting files and directories. These classes are primarily located in the java.io and java.nio.file packages.

1. Key Classes for File Handling

  • File: Represents a file or directory path in the filesystem.
  • FileReader and BufferedReader: Classes for reading character files.
  • FileWriter and BufferedWriter: Classes for writing character files.
  • FileInputStream and FileOutputStream: Classes for reading and writing binary files.
  • Files and Paths: Utility classes in java.nio.file for advanced file operations.

2. Common File Operations

  • Creating files and directories.
  • Writing data to files.
  • Reading data from files.
  • Deleting files and directories.
  • Checking file attributes (size, permissions, existence).

3. Key Takeaways

  • Understand the different classes available for file operations.
  • Always handle exceptions, particularly IOException, when performing file I/O.
  • Be aware of file encoding and buffering to optimize performance.
  • Use the java.nio.file package for advanced and efficient file handling.