File I/O

What are streams?

 A stream is an object managing a data source in which
operations such as read data in the stream to a variable, write
values of a variable to the stream associated with type
conversions are performed automatically. These operations
treat data as a chain of units (byte/character/data object) and
data are processed in unit-by-unit manner.

Input stream

Output stream
 Why should you study this chapter?

 Files can not be missing in large applications.

 Do you want to access a file in Java?
 How can we read/write data from/to a file?
 Objectives

 Distinguishing Text, UTF, and Unicode

 How to access directories and files?
 How to access text files.
 How to access binary files?
 How to read/write objects from/to files
 Contents

 Text, UTF, and Unicode

 Introduction to the java.io package
 Accessing directories and files
 Accessing binary files
 Accessing text files.
 Read/write objects from/to files?
 1- Text, UTF, and Unicode

ASCII code
256 characters
(8 bits)
Character
Unicode 65536 characters
(16 bits) ( not completely represented)

Unicode character: a character is coded using 16/32 bits

UTF: Universal Character Set – UCS- Transformation Format
UTF: Unicode transformation format , a Standard for compressing strings of Unicode text .
UTF-8: A standard for compressing Unicode text to 8-bit code units.
Refer to: http://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode7.0.0/

Java :
 Uses UTF to read/write Unicode
 Helps converting Unicode to external 8-bit encodings and
vice versa.
2- Introduction to the java.io Package
 Java treats all data sources ( file, directory, IO
devices,…) as streams
 The java.io package contains Java APIs for accessing
to/from a stream.
 A stream can be a binary stream.
 Binary low-level stream: data unit is a physical byte.
 Binary high-level stream: data unit is primitive data type
value or a string.
 Object stream: data unit is an object.
 A stream can be a character stream in which a data
unit is an Unicode character.
 3- Accessing directories and files
The java.io.File Class
Class represents a file or a directory managed by operating system.

Constructor Summary
Java Program File(File parent, String child)
Creates a new File instance from a parent abstract pathname and
java.io.File class a child pathname string.
File(String pathname)
Creates a new File instance by converting the given pathname
string into an abstract pathname.
OS
File(String parent, String child)
Creates a new File instance from a parent pathname string and a
child pathname string.
File(URI uri)
Directories/
Creates a new File instance by converting the given file: URI
Files
into an abstract pathname.
Information
 Accessing directories and files…
The java.io.File Class…

Common Methods: This class helps

boolean canExecute(), canRead(), canWrite() accessing
boolean exists(), isDirectory(), isFile()
String getAbsolutePath(), getCanonicalPath(), file/directory
getName(), getParent() information only. It
String[] list() does not have any
boolean delete(), createNewFile(), mkDir(), method to access data
rename(File newName) in a file.
long length()

Method Invoked Returns on Microsoft Windows Returns on Solaris

getAbsolutePath() c:\java\examples\examples\xanadu.txt /home/cafe/java/examples/xanadu.txt

getCanonicalPath() c:\java\examples\xanadu.txt /home/cafe/java/examples/xanadu.txt

 Accessing directories and files…
The java.io.File Class…
Get File Attributes Demo.

Hành vi lastModified() trả về 1 số long mô tả chênh lệnh mili

giây kể từ January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 GMT. Thông qua 1
đối tượng Date giúp đổi chênh lệch mili giây này trở lại
thành ngày giờ GMT
 4- Access Text Files

 Character Streams:
 Two ultimate abstract classes of character streams are Reader
and Writer.
 Reader: input character stream will read data from data source
(device) to variables (UTF characters).
 Writer: stream will write UTF characters to data source
(device).
Access Text Files …
Character Streams
Access Text Files …
Reading Data
File

2
read() char c;
1 -1?
FileReader
String S;
readLine()
TextFile split
(filename) null?

BufferedReader

We must ClassA obj;

Type field1
know Type field2
data LineNumberReader …………
format in
getLineNumber() int lineCurrentNo;
the file.
Access Text Files …
Writing Data
File class

char c; 2

1
String S; FileWriter class
TextFile
write()
(filename)
concatenate
print()
println()
ClassA obj;
PrintWriter class
Type field1 FileWriter(File file)

Type field2 FileWriter(File file, boolean append)

………… We must design FileWriter(FileDescriptor fdObj)

the data format FileWriter(String name)

in the file.
FileWriter(String name, boolean append)
 Access Text Files …
Case study 1
Problem
 Each employee details include: code, name, salary
 The text file, named employees.txt contains some initial employee
details in the following line-by-line format
code, name,salary
 Write a Java program having a simple menu that allows users
managing a list of employees. Functions are supported:
 Adding new employee
 Removing employee.
 Promoting the salary of an employee.
 Listing employee details.
 Save the list to file
 Quit
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Design
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 1- Implementations
 Access Text Files …:
Case study 2.- Append File Demo.
Problem
 Each item details include: code, name, price. The item’s code can
not be duplicated.
 An accountant can not be allowed to view all stored items ( in the
text file, named items.txt) but he/she can add some new items to
this file.
 Data format in this file (line by line):
 Line for the code of item
 Line for the name of item
 Line for the price of item

 Write a Java program having a simple menu which allows users

managing a item list through program’s functions:
 Add new item
 Update an item
 Delete an item
 Save items( Appending items to this file)
Access Text Files …: Case study 2.-Design
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 4.- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
Access Text Files …: Case study 2- Implementations
 Access Text Files …: Read UTF-8 File content
UTF8 content is stored in compressed format➔ a character will be stored in 1 to 3 bytes.
Before reading UTF, decompressing is needed.

String content=“”; For read bytes

FileInputStream f = new FileInputStream(filename);
For read a
InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(f, "UTF8"); unicode
int ch; character
while ((ch = in.read()) > -1) content+=(char)ch;
Or
String content=“”, s; “UTF-8”
FileInputStream f = new FileInputStream(filename);
InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(f, "UTF8"); For read a
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader (isr); unicode
while ( (s= br.readline())!=null) content += s + “\n”; character or
string.
 5- Access binary files

 Binary streams.
 Low-level streams: reading/writing data byte-by-
byte.
 High-level stream: reading/writing general-format
data (primitives – group of bytes that store typed-
values)
 Access binary files…
The java.io.RandomAccessFile class

 It is used to read or modify data in a file that is compatible

with the stream, or reader, or writer model
 It supports:
 Get the file pointer
 Get the length of the file
 Seeking to any position within a file
 Reading & writing single byte/groups of bytes, treated as
higher-level data types
 Close file.
 Access binary files …
java.io.RandomAccessFile class…
 Constructors
RandomAccessFile(String file, String mode)
RandomAccessFile(File file, String mode)

 Mode “r” to open the file for reading only

 Mode “rw” to open for both reading and writing
 Mode “rws” is same as rw and any changes to the file’s content or
metadata (file attributes) take place immediately
 Mode “rwd” is same as rw, and changes to the file content, but
not its metadata, take place immediately. Its metadata are
upadated only when the file is closed.
 Access binary files …
java.io.RandomAccessFile class…
A demo. for write data to a file then
read data from the file
The try…catch statement must be used
when accessing file – checked exception

WRITE

READ
Access binary files…
Binary Streams
 Access binary files…
Low-Level Binary Stream Demo.1

These values can not be greater than 127 because

only the lower bytes are written to the file.

Write
data to file

We can not read these number in the file because

of binary file. However, we can see characters.
 Access binary files…
Low-Level Binary Stream Demo.1…

Read
data
from the Convert array of characters to string for
Read a byte: ‘5’
file then printing them easier.
print Read the blank
them
out.
Read the blank
Read a number

Read filename stored at the end of the file

 Access binary files…
Low-Level Binary Stream Demo.2

This demo. Is the same as the

previous one. But, all small
number will be converted to digits
then write them to the file

Write
data to file Now, we can see all
the file content
because they are
characters
 Access binary files…
Low-Level Binary Stream Demo.2…

Read
data
from
the
file
 Access binary files
High-Level Binary Stream

 More often than not bytes to be read or written constitute

higher-level information (int, String, …)
 The most common of high-level streams extend from the
super classes FilterInputStream and FilterOutputStream.
 Do not read/write from input/output devices such as files or
sockets; rather, they read/write from other streams
 DataInputStream/ DataOutputStream
 Constructor argument: InputStream/ OutputStream
 Common methods: readXXX, writeXXX
 BufferedInputStream/ BufferedOutputStream: supports read/write in
large blocks
 ….
 Access binary files…
High-Level Binary Streams
 Access binary files…
High-Level Binary Stream Demo.

DataOutputStream A high-level file

(int, string,…) access includes
some low-level
access
FileOutputStream ( read an int
(byte) value includes 4
times of read a
byte)
File
 Access binary files…
High-Level Binary Stream Demo. …
 6- Access Object Files

 2 Object streams :Object Input stream, Object Output stream

Serialization is a task which will concate all data of an object to a byte stream then it can
be written to a datasource. Static and transient data can not be serialized.
De-serialization is a task which will read a byte stream from a datasourse , split the
stream to fields then assign them to data fields of an object appropriately.
Transient fields are omitted when an object is serialized.
 Serialization

• The process of writing an object is called serialization.

• Use java.io.ObjectOutputStream to serialize an object.
• It is only an object’s data that is serialized, not its class
definition.
• When an object output stream serializes an object that
contains references to other object, every referenced
object is serialized along with the original object.
• Not all data is written.
 static fields are not
 transient fields are also not serialized
 De-serialization

• De-serialization is to convert a serialized

representation into a replica of the original object.
• Use java.io.ObjectInputStream to deserialize an
object.
• When an object is serialized, it will probably be
deserialized by a different JVM.
• Any JVM that tries to deserialize an object must
have access to that object’s class definition.
 Access Object Files…: How to?

FileInputStream No method is declared FileOutputStream

class A implements
ObjectInputStream f; java.io.Serializable ObjectOutputStream
{ Type field1;
Type field2;
………… writeObject()
readObject()
}
null?

File A obj; File

(filename)
(filename)

We can read/write objects from/to file

using a program only.
 Access Object Files…:
Case study 3 - Object Streams Demo.
Problem
 Book <title, price>
 Write a Java program that allows user:
 View books in the file books.dat
 Append a book to the file
 Read/ Write books as binary objects from/to the
file.
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 3 - Design

Java serielize
data of an
object from
the bottom of
the
declaration to
the beginning.
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 3- Implementations

Refer to the case study 1, 2.

DO YOURSELF
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 3– Implementations…
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 3– Implementations…
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 3– Implementations…
 Access Object Files…:
Case Study 5 – Implementations…
 Summary

 Text, UTF, and Unicode

 Accessing metadata of directories/files
(java.io.File)
 Text Streams, Reader, and Writer
 The java.io.RandomAccessFile Class
 Binary file Input and Output (low and high-level)
 Object Streams and Serializable