Files.readString()
Reads a whole text file into one string.
Available since: Java 11
Syntax
static String readString(Path path) throws IOExceptionParameters
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| path | Path | The path to the file. The default encoding is UTF-8; another one can be passed as the second argument. |
Return value
StringThe file contents.
Examples
Writing a file and reading it back whole:
void main() throws IOException {
Path file = Path.of("note.txt");
Files.writeString(file, "Buy milk\nCall Anna\n");
String text = Files.readString(file);
IO.print(text);
IO.println(text.length());
Files.delete(file);
}Output:
Buy milk
Call Anna
19A missing file throws NoSuchFileException:
void main() {
try {
Files.readString(Path.of("missing.txt"));
} catch (IOException e) {
IO.println(e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage());
}
}Output:
NoSuchFileException: missing.txtNotes
The method throws the checked IOException, so you must catch it or declare throws IOException. It suits small files: the whole contents end up in memory. Read large files line by line with Files.lines() or BufferedReader.
See also
- Files.writeString() — Writes a string to a file, creating or overwriting it.
- Files.readAllLines() — Reads a text file into a list of lines.
- Files.lines() — Reads a file lazily as a stream of lines, without loading it into memory.
- Path.of() — Creates a Path object — a path to a file or folder.
- IOException — A checked exception for input and output errors: files, network, data streams.
Related recipes
In the tutorial
- Reading and writing files — Reading and writing text files in Java — Files.writeString, readString, readAllLines, write, appending to the end, Files.lines and buffered streams.