How do you create a file in Java?

You can create a file in Java using File and createNewFile(). It returns true if the file is newly created, false if it already exists.

How do you read a file in Java?

You can read file contents using Scanner, FileReader, or BufferedReader depending on the use case.

How do you write to a file in Java?

FileWriter, PrintWriter, or BufferedWriter can be used to write text to a file in Java.

Java File Handling – Create, Read, Write & Delete Files with Examples

Java provides the java.io and java.nio packages to work with files. The most commonly used class is File, which allows you to create, read, write, and delete files.

Understanding the File Class

The File class represents file and directory pathnames.

import java.io.File;

public class FileObjectDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        File file = new File("data.txt");
        System.out.println("File exists? " + file.exists());
    }
}

1. Create a File

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;

public class CreateFileDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            File file = new File("example.txt");

            if (file.createNewFile()) {
                System.out.println("File Created: " + file.getName());
            } else {
                System.out.println("File already exists.");
            }

        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

2. Write to a File

You can use FileWriter or BufferedWriter to write text into a file.

import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

public class WriteFileDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            FileWriter writer = new FileWriter("example.txt");
            writer.write("Hello from VINAR TECH Java Tutorials!");
            writer.close();
            System.out.println("Successfully wrote to file.");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

3. Append to a File

import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

public class AppendFileDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            FileWriter writer = new FileWriter("example.txt", true); // true = append mode
            writer.write("\nAppending new content...");
            writer.close();
            System.out.println("Content appended.");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

4. Read a File

The Scanner class is one of the easiest ways to read text line-by-line.

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

public class ReadFileDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            File file = new File("example.txt");
            Scanner reader = new Scanner(file);

            while (reader.hasNextLine()) {
                System.out.println(reader.nextLine());
            }

            reader.close();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

5. Delete a File

import java.io.File;

public class DeleteFileDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        File file = new File("example.txt");

        if (file.delete()) {
            System.out.println("File deleted: " + file.getName());
        } else {
            System.out.println("Unable to delete file.");
        }
    }
}

Java File Handling