CISC 1115 Files

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CISC 1115
Introduction to Programming Using Java
Files

Reading from the Text

The text does not discuss files.

Files

Don't want to enter large amounts of data from the keyboard
- tedious
- boring
- error prone
- difficult to replicate
Store data on an external file on disk
This data can be input using a Scanner object just like keyboard
- The only difference is where the Scanner gets its data from

Files vs Streams

Until now, we've only dealt with System.out and System.in which are called stream.

the term stream refers to a data source that are ephemeral, i.e., they last only for the duration of their usage

Files on the other hand are more permanent data sources that reside on disk; they can be opened repeatedly.

Files and `Scanner`

Scanner objects that read their data from an external file are created using a File object (rather than System.in
```
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

…
	public static void main(String [] args) throws Exception {
		Scanner scanner = new Scanner(new File("data.text"));	// preparing to read data from the file data.text
…
		
```
- Using a File object requires:
  - importing from java.io
  - adding the clause throws Exception to the header line of the (main) method informing the compiler that you are aware that using the file may potentially cause a problem (i.e., the file not existing).

Notes

At runtime (i.e., during execution), the system must be able to find the data file. In IntelliJ, you should create the file at the project level; i.e., select the name of the project in the left hand navigation pane, right click, select 'New' then 'File', name the file, and then it will appear in the editor window on the right, at which point you can insert data.

`FileNotFoundException` at Compilation and Execution

The data file specified as the argument to new File does not have to exist when you compile the file
- It's only when you actually execute/run the program that the file is looked for and opened; and thus it's only then that the file's existence matters.
However, at compile-time, the compiler wants to make sure you are aware of this eventual possibility; and thus you are required to add the clause throws Exception to the first line of your method.
- Omitting that clause will cause a compilation error
It is only once you execute the program and the file does not exist (or you misspelled the nae of the file) that the actual error occurs. This error is known as a FileNotFoundException and will terminate your program with a message to that effect.

P05.1 Rounder Write a program that illustrates the Math.round method by reading in a header value (i.e., number of data items to read in) from the file data.text followed by that number of floating point numbers (doubles). For each number read in, print out the number and it's rounded value using Math.round.

Code

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class Rounder {
        public static void main(String [] args) throws Exception {
                Scanner scanner = new Scanner(new File("data.text"));

                int howMany = scanner.nextInt();

                for (int i = 1; i <= howMany; i = i + 1) {
                        double d = scanner.nextDouble();
                        System.out.println(d + " rounds to " + Math.round(d));
                }
        }
}

data.text

6 3.2 5.7 4.5 9.0 12 16.4

Stdout

3.2 rounds to 3 5.7 rounds to 6 4.5 rounds to 5 9.0 rounds to 9 12.0 rounds to 12 16.4 rounds to 16

The `next` and `nextLine` Methods

We've already seen the next method of Scanner — it reads the next piece of data and returns it as a String
- next reads in a sequence of characters until it encounters a whitespace character — a blank, tab, or newline (end of the line) character.
  - Thus if the data is
```
Weiss Gerald
						
```
    then after one calls next:
```
String name = scanner.next();
						
```
    the String variable name would contain Weiss (i.e., scanner would stop reading characters when it encounters the blank after the second 's' in Weiss.
In contrast, the method nextLine reads in an entire line at a time and (line next) returns it as a String.
- Given the above example, after executing the code:
```
String name = scanner.nextLine();
						
```
  the String variable name would contain Weiss Gerald

Thus, if one has a data item containing blanks — for example a street address:

2900 Bedford Avenue

or a full (i.e., first and last) name:

Gerald Weiss

the individual elements (e.g. the house number (2900), street name (Bedford), street type, (Avenue, first name (Gerald), and last name (Weiss) could be

read in into separate variables (e.g., houseNumber, streetName, … lastName) using repeated calls to next, or
read in as a single unit into a single variable (e.g. streetAddress, fullName) using nextLine)

Note:

Mixing calls to nextLine together with the other Scanner methods (next, nextInt, nextDouble) can easily result in what seems to be strange results, and is best avoided (for the beginner at least).
If you're interested in reading more about this, Section 3.10 The Scanner Bug of the text goes into this issue in more detail, and explains how to avoid the problem.

Prompting for the Name of the File — Multiple Scanners

Rather than hardcoding the name of the file into the program (as a string literal), we can prompt the user for the name of the file.
- This makes the program more flexible by allowing different files to be processed.
- (Think of a word processor that always works on the same file (e.g. "doc.text") as opposed to one that allows you to specify the name of your document)
Accomplishing this requires two Scanners — one for the keyboard and one for the data file.
- The Scanner for the keyboard uses the already familiar System.in as its data source.
  - The user is prompted for the name of the file and that name is read into a String variable using this (keyboard) scanner.
- The Scanner for the file uses a File object whose name is supplied by the String variable read in from the keyboard (rather than a literal).
```
import java.io.*;		// for the File object
import java.util.*; 	// for the Scanner objects

…

	Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);	// keyboard scanner

	System.out.print("Enter the name of the data file: ");
	String filename= keyboard.next();

	Scanner datafile = new Scanner(new File(filename));	// scanner for the data file

	// can now use the datafile scanner to read in the data
…
	
```

P5.2 Finder Write a program that prompts the user for a file name and an integer, and if the integer appears as one of the numbers in the file, the program outputs *** Found it!;

Code

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class Finder {
        public static void main(String [] args) throws Exception {
                Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);

                System.out.print("Which file would you like to search? ");
                String filename = keyboard.next();

                System.out.print("Which number would you like to find? ");
                int theNumber = keyboard.nextInt();

                Scanner dataFile = new Scanner(new File(filename));

                int n = dataFile.nextInt();		// get number of numbers in file

                for (int i = 1; i <= n; i = i + 1) {
                        int num = dataFile.nextInt();
                        if (theNumber == num)
                                System.out.println("*** Found it!");
                }
        }
}

Stdin

data.text 4

data.text

3 2 4 6

Stdout

Which file would you like to search? Which number would you like to find? *** Found it!

Interactive Session

Here is a sample execution of the program.
User input is in bold.
Which file would you like to search? data.text
Which number would you like to find? 4
*** Found it!

Writing Output to a File — the `PrintStream` Class

In addition to writing to the screen, output can be written to a file
- This is similar to input that can come from the keyboard (a Scanner based on System.in) or a file (a Scanner based on a File object)

To write to a file, a PrintStream object is created; this is done as follows:

PrintStream ps = new PrintStream(filename);

for example:

PrintStream ps = new PrintStream("results.text");

System.out is itself a PrintStream object, so we already know all the methods available to our file-based PrintStream object: print, println, etc.
When you are finished writing to the file, it should be closed using the close method:
```
ps.close();
		
```
this ensures the file is properly saved to disk

P05.3 Rounder

Rewrite P05.1 so that the output is written to the file data.output (rather than the screen)

Code

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class Rounder {
        public static void main(String [] args) throws Exception {
                Scanner scanner = new Scanner(new File("data.text"));
                PrintStream ps = new PrintStream("data.output");

                int howMany = scanner.nextInt();

                for (int i = 1; i <= howMany; i = i + 1) {
                        double d = scanner.nextDouble();
                        ps.println(d + " rounds to " + Math.round(d));
                }
        }
}

data.text

6 3.2 5.7 4.5 9.0 12 16.4

data.output

3.2 rounds to 3 5.7 rounds to 6 4.5 rounds to 5 9.0 rounds to 9 12.0 rounds to 12 16.4 rounds to 16

P05.4 FileCopier

Write a program that prompts the user for the name of an existing file and the name of a second file to which the contents of the first file should be copied. The existing file contains a header file (an integer) followed by that number of doubles, all of which should be copied to the destination file..

Code

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.PrintStream;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class FileCopier {
	public static void main(String [] args) throws FileNotFoundException {
		Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);

		System.out.println("File to copy from: ");
		String infilename = keyboard.next();

		System.out.println("File to copy to: ");
		String outfilename = keyboard.next();

		Scanner infile = new Scanner(new File(infilename));
		PrintStream outfile= new PrintStream(outfilename);

		int numValues = infile.nextInt();
		outfile.println(numValues);			// have to copy the header as well
		outfile.println();						// blank line to separate the header from the actual data

		for (int i = 1; i <= numValues; i = i + 1) {
			double num = infile.nextDouble();
			outfile.println(num);
		}

		infile.close();
		outfile.close();

		System.out.println(numberOfValues + " values copied from " + infilename + " to " + outfilename);
	}
}

Notes

There are four files/streams in play here:
- stdin (the keyboard), represented by System.in
- stdout (the screen) reoresented by System.out
- the (existing, input) file whose name is contained in the variable infilename, and represented by the variable infile
- the (output) file whose name is contained in the variable outfilename, and represented by the variable outfile
In addition to the actual data, we must also write out the header value at the beginning of the file; we also write out a blank line to separate the header from the actual (double) data values (see below).
- This is actually a good place for a comment, simply reading the code doesn't convey what the intent of the printing of the header and subsequent blank line
The programmer who created this class decided to insert a blank line after the header value, and then place the actual data (the doubles) each on a separate line.

oldfile.data

5
12.1   6.7   3.5   9   45.2

Notes

The creator of this file elected to place all the actual data (the double values) on the same line
- This works as nextDouble simply reads in values expecting them to be doubles, and stops reading characters when it encounters whitespace, be it a newline, a tab, or a blank

stdin (keyboard)

oldfile.data
newfile.text

Notes

Files with different suffixes/extension (.data vs .text) are used here just to make sure it was understood that not all data files end in .text or .data

newfile.text

5

12.1
6.7
3.5
9.0
45.2

Notes

The format of the data in this file is different than the input file, so in some sense, the copy is faulty. However, with respect to the way we read it in. i.e., using nextDouble, this format would work if it was the input file to this program.

stdout

File to copy from: 
File to copy to: 
5 values copied from oldfile.data to newfile.text

The `PrintWriter` Class

For technical reasons beyond the scope of this class (or at least for now), there is a second class — PrintWriter — that provides print and println methods that operate identically (as far as we are concerned) to those of the PrintStream class. And for equally obscure reasons, CodeLab exercises on files request the use of PrintWriter rather than PrintStream.

CISC 1115
Introduction to Programming Using Java
Files

Reading from the Text

Files

Files vs Streams

Files and `Scanner`

`FileNotFoundException` at Compilation and Execution

The `next` and `nextLine` Methods

Prompting for the Name of the File — Multiple Scanners

Writing Output to a File — the `PrintStream` Class

The `PrintWriter` Class

Files used in Lecture 5

Lab for Lecture 5

CISC 1115 Introduction to Programming Using Java Files

Reading from the Text

Files

Files vs Streams

Files and Scanner

FileNotFoundException at Compilation and Execution

The next and nextLine Methods

Prompting for the Name of the File — Multiple Scanners

Writing Output to a File — the PrintStream Class

The PrintWriter Class

Files used in Lecture 5

Lab for Lecture 5

CISC 1115
Introduction to Programming Using Java
Files

Files and `Scanner`

`FileNotFoundException` at Compilation and Execution

The `next` and `nextLine` Methods

Writing Output to a File — the `PrintStream` Class

The `PrintWriter` Class