File I/O

Chapter 10
Chapter Contents

Chapter Objectives
10.1 Introductory Example: Weather Data Analysis
10.2 Java/s I/O System: Readers, Writers, Streams
10.3 Exceptions
10.4 More About I/O Streams
10.5 Example: Scanning for a Virus
10.6 Example: Student Data Retrieval
10.7 Graphical/Internet Java: Student Data Retrieval GUI
Part of the Picture: Data Base Systems
Chapter Objectives

Study Java's I/O with text and binary files

Examine role of exceptions in I/O
Observe use of files in GUI programs in
context of an information retrieval problem
Learn about the role of files in database
management systems
Need for File Access

Filessaved for word processors, spreadsheet

programs, etc.
Saved on secondary memory
hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, etc.
Requirements information stored in secondary
memory
can be retrieved in the future
kept separate from other documents, programs, etc.
Intro Example: Weather Data
Analysis

Problem: large amounts of weather-related

data is recorded and processed
year's worth of atmospheric pressure readings
taken every 15 minutes
stored in a text file pressure.dat
Weatherman needs minimum, maximum, and
average of the data
Data must be read from file, statistics
calculated, results written to a text output file
Solution Overview

Note source code, Figure 10.1

Names of input and output files are given to the
program via the args parameter
input file is args[0]

output file is args[1]

Command to open the input file

BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader (
new FileReader (args[0]));
Input file is a static
Input file is a static
Reading text from input file object with
valueString = in.readLine(); readLine() method
Solution Overview

Opening text output file

PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter (
new BufferedWriter(
new Filewriter (args[1])));

Writing text values to a file

out.println ( . . . );

Closing the files

in.close(); out.close();
Handling Exceptions

Many things can go wrong when dealing with

files
requested input file does not exist
input file has invalid data
output file unavailable
When such an error occurs, the method in
which the problem happened "throws an
exception"
Java can "catch" the exception if it happens in a "try
block"
Note the try { } block in the source code
Handling Exceptions

A tryblock is followed by one or more "catch

blocks"
Note the source code:
catch (Exception anException)
{ Controller.fatal ( ) ; }
This catch block will
determine the kind of exception
report the problem
terminate the program
10.2 Java's I/O System:
Readers, Writers, and Streams

Allinput and output in Java is accomplished by

classes called streams
Input streams provide ways to move bytes of
data from an input device to a program
Output streams move the data in the opposite
direction

Input Output
Stream Stream

Executing Program
Predefined Streams

System.in
InputStream object, usually for the keyboard
System.out
a buffered PrintStream object, usually the
screen or an active window
System.err
an unbuffered PrintStream object usually
associated with the screen or console window
Wrapping Classes

InputStream class provides methods for

reading bytes only
to read at a higher level we must "wrap"
System.in with another class
Example: BufferedReader class
BufferedReader myReader =
new (BufferedReader (
new InputStreamReader( System.in));
Now we can send myReader either
the .read() message for a single char value or
the .readLine() message for an entire line of text
Using Readers and Writers

Reader and Writer classes provide support

for char (16-bit Unicode) I/O
InputStream and OutputStream provide
support for byte I/O
The Java language is still growing and
"maturing"
extensions of Reader and Writer classes have yet to
be fully accepted
author of this text suggests: Use Reader or Writer
class whenever possible, use Stream class only
when there is no Reader/Writer class that fits
Using a Reader

Wrap FileReader in BufferedReader

class
BufferedReader inFile =
new BufferedReader (
new FilReader (input_filename) );
Now the BufferedReader object (inFile) can
be sent a .readLine() message
A BufferedReader is so named because it
buffers the input
this improves program performance
Using a Reader

Howto know when all the data in a file has

been read?
the readLine() method returns the value null

valueString = inFile.readLine():
while (valueString != null)
{ // process valueString
valueString = inFile.readLine(); }
Also
possible to check for other things such as
an empty line with no text
if (valueString.equals("")) continue;
Using a Reader

Sequence of steps for using text input

1. Build a BufferedReader by wrapping one

around a FileReader
2. Use an input loop to read lines of text from the
BufferedReader
Convert those lines to numeric values if necessary
3. Close the BufferedReader
Using a Writer

Whenwriting values to a text file, author

suggests use a Writer class
increase FileWriter capabilities by wrapping it in
BufferedWriter and PrintWriter classes

PrintWriter outFile = new PrintWriter(

new BufferedWriter (
new FileWriter (file_name) ) );
10.3 Exceptions

Easy for things to go wrong in a program

faulty logic
bad input from user, etc.

Javaclassifies all these as "exceptional

occurrences"
provides Exception class
tells something abnormal occurred
 Try-Catch Blocks

To signal an abnormal occurrence

method can throw an exception
throw occurs inside a try block
try block followed by one or more catch blocks
Form: Exception thrown here
try { statement list }
Program searches
catch (Exception_Type1 variable_name )
catch1 blocks
{ } looking for type
catch (Exception_type2 variable_name match for 2)exception
When match found, that block of
{ } thrown
statements executed
finally
{ }
Try-Catch Blocks

After catch block executed

execution continues in finally { } block or
if no finally { }, continues to next statements
following catch { }
If no matching exception type is found
program terminates
If no exception thrown
catch blocks skipped
execution continues in finally { } or in
statements following catch block
Exception Hierarchy

Most general class

E x c e p t io n

D a t a F o r m a t E x c e p t io n I O E x c e p t io n . . . R u n t im e E x c e p t io n

E O F E x c e p t io n F ile N o t F o u n d E x c e p t io n . . . I n t e r r u p t e d I O E x c e p t io n

Exceptions become
more specialized
Try/Catch Strategy

Wrap all calls to methods that throw exceptions

in single try block
followed by single catch block .. or
followed by sequence of catch blocks, one for each
type of exception
Wrapeach call to a method that throws an
exception in its own try block
a catch block exists for each particular exception
thrown
Throwing Exceptions

Method that throws an exception must explicitly

state this in its heading

public void read(BufferedReader aReader)

throws EOFException

Now calling method must invoke this method

using try-catch blocks to handle the potential
exception
10.4 More About I/O Streams

Datacan be stored in a file as text or in binary

format
same format used to store values in memory
takes less space to store an integer in binary format
than in text format
Java Stream classes provide byte level I/O
FileOutputStream
FileInputStream
Also BufferedOutputStream and
BufferedInputStream
Writing Primitive types

Java provides DataOutputStream and

DataInputStream classes
Note methods provided, Table 10.1
note number of bytes used to store the data
Consider Data Stream Demonstration, Figure
10.3 in text note the features
Why
Whydoescontents
does contentsof
of
numbers.dat
wrapping of Stream I/O classes
numbers.dat
use of try-catch blocks appear
appearto
tobe
begibberish?
gibberish?
specific methods used to write, then read
sample run
Writing Sequence of Values

Consider a group of values of different types

that are written to a file
they must be read in the same order that they were
written
Possible to create a class
that group of values is the private data of the class
specific methods are provided for an object of the
class to write/read those values to/from a file
the read and write methods receive the file handles
as parameters
10.5 Example: Scanning for a Virus

What is a virus?
software that hides itself within other executable
programs
that executable program is the "host" for the virus
the virus program tries to "infect" other programs
the virus can cause problems that range from
annoying to malicious
A virus that prints an annoying message stores
that string value within itself
we will write a program that searches through a file
to find that text, or signature
Virus-Detection Algorithm

1. Repeat the following:

a) read a line from a file
b) if no line read due to EOF, terminate
c) otherwise scan the line for specified string of text
d) if that text found, stop reading from file
2. Display message whether or not target string
was found signifying virus found/not found

Note source code, Figure 10.4

Simulated Virus Scanning

Note use of command line arguments

first argument is the name of the file to be read
second argument is the target string or virus
signature

Observe other features studied in this chapter

use of try/catch
wrapping of classes for file read
10.6 Example:
Retrieving Student Information

Problem: Information Retrieval

Records of information about students consist of
studentID, a 9 digit integer
first name, last name as strings
studentYear as a string
credits and GPA as reals
We seek a program which will
read a sequence of students from students.txt
prompt for studentID, read from keyboard
search for match, display if found
Objects

Objects Type Kind Name

Individual Student Student varying
Number of int numberOfStudents
varying
students
Sequence of StudentSequence students
varying
students
Name of input file String constant args[0]
A student ID int studentID
varying
number
Position of the int position
varying
student
Student Class

Operations needed include

initialize itself with default values
initialize itself with explicitly supplied values
read its attributes from a BufferedReader & store
them in itself
convert itself to a String (for output)
access each of its attributes
mutate any of its attributes
Notemethods provided for these capabilities in
source code of Figure 10.5
Program Algorithm

1. Build students as a StudentSequence

a) initialized from an input file
b) name of file received in args[0]
2. Repeatedly do the following:
a) prompt for and read studentID
b) search students for target studentID, return its
position
c) if search successful
display student at position
otherwise
display error message
Class StudentSequence

Note source code, Figure 10.6

Reads numberOfStudents as first value in
the file
Constructor declares myStudents, an array of
Student
Use numberOfStudents as limiting value in
for loop
stores incoming values in myStudents array
Provides linear search method, find()
Student Information Retrieval

Note source code, Figure 10.7

Program declares students, object of type
StudentSequence
constructor loads values from file
Forever loop used to
prompt for, receive as input student id
call .find method to determine position of that
student in the array
print results (found or not)
 10.7 Graphical/Internet Java:
Student Data Retrieval GUI

Implement student data retrieval problem

internet GUI context
Much of work already done can be reused
Behavior
GUIStudentRetriever
Bottom portion not
Enter Student ID : 111223333
visible until id
entered and Bill Board
processed
Alternatively, a "not
found" message Freshman Credits 16.0 GPA 3.15
would appear here
Implementation

Methods for GUIStudentRetreiver

constructor
action handler
enter initial state
enter found an ID state
enter not found state
Attributes
labels
entry fields
panes for panels
 Event-Handler Method

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event)

{ String idString = myIdField.getText();
if (idString.equals("")) enterInitialState();
else
{ int id = Integer.parseInt(idString);
int position = myStudents.find(id);
if (position >= 0)
enterGoodIDState(myStudents.getStudent(position));
else
enterErrorState("No student found with that ID");
}
} Note
Notesource
sourcecode,
code,Figure
Figure10.8
10.8
Part of the Picture:
Database Systems

Businesses must make decisions

Based on data
accuracy and detail help make better decisions
large data sets stored on computers

Data
sets maintained by Database
Management Systems (DBMS)
DBMS Facilities

Highlevel views of the data

Access routines
query language
Support for large databases
as large as 1000 gigabytes (one terabyte)
Security
data is sensitive or proprietary
Data sharing
protect data when more than one person wishes to
access/ modify same piece of data
Data integrity
Relational Model

Database viewed as a set of tables, called

relations
one row for each entry
column for each attribute or field of the database
SQL, "Structured Query Language"
provides commands for manipulate data
Example
SELECT * FROM Employee WHERE Rate = 10.5
Name of
Retrieve All records Condition
Relation