Java BufferedReader Methods
In Java, BufferedReader is used to read text from a file efficiently. It reads characters, arrays, and lines. It is faster than FileReader because it uses buffering.
The BufferedReader class belongs to the java.io package.
1. Importing BufferedReader
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.IOException;
2. Creating a BufferedReader Object
To read data from a file, we create a BufferedReader object with FileReader.
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("example.txt"));
3. read()
The read() method reads a single character. It returns -1 when the end of file is reached.
int data;
while((data = br.read()) != -1) {
System.out.print((char) data);
}
br.close();
4. readLine()
The readLine() method reads a complete line of text. It returns null when the end of file is reached.
String line;
while((line = br.readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println(line);
}
br.close();
5. ready()
The ready() method checks if the stream is ready to be read.
System.out.println(br.ready());
6. skip()
The skip() method skips a specified number of characters.
br.skip(5); // skips first 5 characters
7. close()
The close() method closes the stream and releases system resources.
br.close();
Complete Example with Exception Handling
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.IOException;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("example.txt"));
String line;
while((line = br.readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println(line);
}
br.close();
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("An error occurred.");
}
}
}
Why BufferedReader is Faster?
- It uses a buffer to read large chunks of data.
- It reduces the number of disk access operations.
- It improves performance compared to FileReader.
Difference Between FileReader and BufferedReader
- FileReader reads character by character.
- BufferedReader reads data in large chunks.
- BufferedReader is faster and more efficient.
- BufferedReader provides readLine() method.
Important Points
- Used for reading text files.
- Always handle exceptions using try-catch.
- Always close the stream after use.
- readLine() returns null at end of file.
Conclusion
The BufferedReader class provides methods like read(), readLine(), skip(), ready(), and close().
It is widely used for reading text files efficiently.
Tip: Use BufferedReader when you need fast and efficient text file reading.