java file.exists doesn't find my file

Question

I'm using Windows7. I've written this simple java code:

package filetest;
import java.io.File;

public class FileTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        File myfile = new File("C://test//test.txt");

        if (myfile.exists()) {
            System.out.println("file exists");
        } else {
            System.out.println("file doesn't exist");
        }

    }

}

The file DOES exists in C:/test/test.txt, but the answer is that file doesn't exists. Why?

EDITED: I've changed the code and it still doesn't find the file, but now it creates the file. So I can write to that directory. And the created file is named "test"

package filetest;
import java.io.File;
import java.util.*;

public class FileTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        File myfile = new File("C:\\test\\test.txt");
        final Formatter newfile;
        if (myfile.exists()) {
            System.out.println("file exists");
        } else {
            System.out.println("file doesn't exist");
            try {
                newfile = new Formatter("C://test//test.txt");
                System.out.println("file has been created");
            } catch(Exception e) {
                System.out.println("Error: " + e);                
            }
        }

    }

}

// is not a valid directory separator on windows. \\ would work, since that'd just be a regular escaped backslash. — Marc B
– Marc B, Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 14:17
Thanks. I've tried C:\\test\\test.txt It doesn't work either. — SSorensen
– SSorensen, Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 14:18
Do you have enough permissions to access this file? Does the user that is running your application have permissions? — cassiomolin
– cassiomolin, Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 14:20
I'm working with an administrator account. I should have permission to access this file, shouldn't I? — SSorensen
– SSorensen, Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 14:25
You got it! Change your folder properties, show the extensions and rename your file removing ".txt" from it. — cassiomolin
– cassiomolin, Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 14:35

Sachin Janani · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-12 14:19:55Z

1

In windows path separator used is '\' for these you need to escape backslash.So your code will be something like:

public class FileTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        File myfile = new File("C:\\test\\test.txt");

        if (myfile.exists()) {
            System.out.println("file exists");
        } else {
            System.out.println("file doesn't exist");
        }

    }

}

answered Aug 12, 2014 at 14:19

Sachin Janani

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Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

1

You don't need to double your slashes. You have to user wether "/" or "\\".

EDIT :

The weird thing is that I tried it out and both "/" and "\\" work fine for me. In fact, it works regardless of the number of "/" I use... for example "C:////test/////////test.txt" is okay. You have another problem, and I have no idea of what it could be.

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

CommunityBot

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answered Aug 12, 2014 at 14:16

Dici

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Comments

patty · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-12 14:32:50Z

1

I would recommend using isFile() instead of exists(). Its a better way of checking if the path points to a file rather than if a file exists or not. exists() may return true if your path points to a directory.

answered Aug 12, 2014 at 14:32

patty

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Comments

surendran · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-15 14:03:00Z

0

@SSorensen In your EDITED code, you added the backslash properly

@ line 7

File myfile = new File("C:\\test\\test.txt");

but you forgot to update slashes with backslashes @ line 14

newfile = new Formatter("C://test//test.txt");

answered Nov 15, 2014 at 14:03

surendran

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