com.marringtons.file
Class Output

java.lang.Object
  com.marringtons.file.Output

public class Output

extends Object

Helper class for file output - find output files in the directory system, return absolute paths, make unique file and retrieve output streams or writers.

Author:

Paul Marrington

Field Summary

static String

basePath Directory to write files to (if not absolute).

Method Summary

static File	getFile(String name) Return a file object for an output file.
static String	makeAbsolute(String name) Return an absolute path to a file for output - either from the original name or in the output directory.
static String	makeUnique(String name, String type) Create a unique file name - easily read to include date and time.
static void	set(String dir) Set the output directory - normally from the application name.
static OutputStream	stream(String name, boolean append) Given a file name, create or append to a file.
static Writer	writer(String name, boolean append) Given a file name, create or append to a file.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

basePath

public static String basePath

Directory to write files to (if not absolute). Defaults to the current working directory when the program starts. If the program registers itself with Application.start the output directory is moved to "userDir/appname" or "homeDir/appname" if one of these directories exist - otherwise it is left in userDir. See Application.start().

Method Detail

set

public static void set(String dir)

Set the output directory - normally from the application name. Called by Application.start(); Set to "userDir/appname" or "homeDir/appname" if one of these directories exist - otherwise it is created as "userDir/appname". Use ~/dir to be relative to home directory

Parameters:

dir - directory to use to files being created.

stream

public static OutputStream stream(String name,
                                  boolean append)
                           throws FileNotFoundException

Given a file name, create or append to a file. Resulting directory relies on path.

Parameters:

name - of file

append - true to add to file, false to create new file (or clear old)

Returns:

buffered output stream to write to

Throws:

FileNotFoundException

writer

public static Writer writer(String name,
                            boolean append)
                     throws IOException

Given a file name, create or append to a file. Resulting directory relies on path.

Parameters:

name - of file

append - true to add to file, false to create new file (or clear old)

Returns:

buffered output stream to write to

Throws:

IOException

makeAbsolute

public static String makeAbsolute(String name)

Return an absolute path to a file for output - either from the original name or in the output directory. ~session~ is expanded to the thread name. This means it can return paths with the name if the current session in them. This allows you to save session dependant data.

Parameters:

name - to be turned into an absolute path

Returns:

absolute name given the relative file name.

makeUnique

public static String makeUnique(String name,
                                String type)

Create a unique file name - easily read to include date and time. Only works for one instance creating files in the same directory.

Parameters:

name - to describe the file

type - file type (extension - as in txt).

Returns:

unique string including name, date, time and a unique run ID.

getFile

public static File getFile(String name)

Return a file object for an output file. Relative paths will be from the output directory

Parameters:

name - of file to build File object instance for.

Returns:

File object describing this named file.