Reading files

[ptuckley]

So here we go, hope this is an alright place to post this.

It's very much a personal project, just something I've set myself to try and further my knowledge of java. I only started studying it this year so I'm pretty useless so far.

Basically, the end aim is to develop a piece of code that will go through a file, copy all the lines that begin with a number and then insert them into a new file.

I've started off with a piece of code that will read through a file and display the letter "Y" when the line begins with an 'A' and display the letter "N" when it begins with anything else. The only way I know how to go through an entire file is to use:

while(MyFile.readLine()!=null)

However, I want it to be able to process lines that have nothing on them.

The code I've got so far is:

import java.io.*;

class test1
{
public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException
{
FileReader file = new FileReader("body.txt");
BufferedReader MyFile = new BufferedReader(file);

String text = MyFile.readLine();

while(text!=null)
{
if(text.charAt(0)=='A')
{
System.out.println("Y");
}

else
{
System.out.println("N");
}
text = MyFile.readLine();
}

MyFile.close();
}
}

body.txt is simply

A
B
B
A
B
B
A
A
A

However, if there is an empty line in the middle of body.txt, it obviously won't work. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.

[sehudson]

I actually think what you have should work. No reason why a blank line should stop the loop. It will read the entire file. So for instance, if you have a file with 7 lines:
A
B
C

D
E
F

It will evaluate all the way to the F. Heres a sample of the File reader, but it's very similar to what you have. What output are you seeing?

      try{
  // Open the file that is the first 
  // command line parameter
  FileInputStream fstream = new FileInputStream("testing.txt");
  // Get the object of DataInputStream
  DataInputStream in = new DataInputStream(fstream);
  BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(in));
  String strLine;
  //Read File Line By Line
  while ((strLine = br.readLine()) != null)   {
  System.out.println(strLine);
  }
  //Close the input stream
  in.close();
    }catch (Exception e){//Catch exception if any
  System.err.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
  }

That should produce the following output:

A
B
C

D
E
F

[Norm]

it obviously won't work

Please explain the reason it won't work.

I want it to be able to process lines that have nothing on them.

You can test the contents of the String that you read into to see if it is empty. See the String API for methods to use.

[Junky]

It won't work because a blank line does not have a char at index 0. Op will need to add a separate test for a blank line, such as testing the length of the String read in.

[Norm]

Yes, I saw that. I was wondering if that was the reason for the message the OP posted. You never know what a student thinks his code does or does not do. So I ask to be sure we are on the same page.
You'll note I recommended that the String be tested to see if it is empty which I thought would be a solution for the OPs problem.

[Junky]

Oops. I really have to read entire posts. ;)

[stchman]

The blank line will result in a zero length String so charAt( 0 ) will bomb.

I would test to see if the length of the text string is greater than 0 before seeing what the first character is.

Refer to the String class.

[Junky]

Another pointless post. Why do you bother when the problem has already been identified and a solution provided