How to Check if a File Exists in Java?
In Java programming, working with files is now a more common task. Developing a code to manage file automatization using Java. In this article, we will discuss how to check if a file exists in Java. By using the java.io.File class we will discuss two methods to check if a file exists or not.
Approaches to check if a file exists in Java
We have two ways to get the list of all the files in a directory in Java.
- Using exists() method in java.io.File
- Using java.nio.file Package
Java Program to Check If a File Exists
Below are the implementations of the two approaches using the Java programming language.
1. Using exists() Method in java.io.File class
This is the old way to check if a file exists by using the exists() method in the java.io.File class. Now, let us understand this with the help of an example:
Java
// Java Program to Check File Existence import java.io.File; // Driver Class public class FileExistenceExample { // main function public static void main(String[] args) { // Mention the specific file path String filePath = "C:\Users\GFG0354\Documents\JavaCode" ; // Create a file object for the specified file File file = new File(filePath); // Check if the file exists if (file.exists()) { System.out.println( "File Exists" ); } else { System.out.println( "File does not Exist." ); } } } |
Output in Console:
Explanation of the above Program:
- In the above example, it checks if a file exists at a specified path. It uses the
File
class to represent the file and checks its existence with theexists()
method. - If the file exists, it prints “File Exists”; otherwise, it prints “File does not Exist.”
2. Using java.nio.file Package
This is the new way to check which was introduced in Java New I/O in Java 7. The java.nio.file.Files class provides a method called exists(). Now, let us understand this with the help of an example:
Java
// Java Program to Check File Existence Using NIO (java.nio.file) import java.nio.file.FileSystems; import java.nio.file.Files; import java.nio.file.Path; // Driver Class public class FileExistenceNIOExample { // main function public static void main(String[] args) { // Specify the file path String filePath = "C:\\Users\\GFG0354\\Documents\\JavaCode" ; // Create a Path object for the specified file Path path = FileSystems.getDefault().getPath(filePath); // Check if the file exists if (Files.exists(path)) { System.out.println( "File Exists" ); } else { System.out.println( "File does not Exist" ); } } } |
Output in Console:
Explanation of the above Program:
- In the above example, it uses the NIO (New I/O) package to check the existence of a file at a specified path.
- It employs the
FileSystems
andFiles
classes to create aPath
object for the file and verify its existence with theFiles.exists()
method. - If the file exists, it prints “File Exist”; otherwise, it prints “File does not Exist.”