Thread: Problem trying to add a new file each time, without overwriting the previous.

Hi, I was wondering if you can help, I am creating a questionaire that when the submit button is pressed, the information is saved into a .txt file and saved on the computer locally...for now. The end goal would be to have the information sent as an email.

private void submitButtonActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionE vent evt)
{
int age;
String q1,q2,q3,q4,q5,q6,q7,q8,q9,q10;
age = Integer.parseInt(answer1.getText());
q1 = answer1.getText();
q2 = answer2.getText();
q3 = answer3.getText();
q4 = answer4.getText();
q5 = answer5.getText();
q6 = answer6.getText();
q7 = answer7.getText();
q8 = answer8.getText();
q9 = answer9.getText();
q10 = answer10.getText();

Path newFile = Paths.get("C:/Users/David/Desktop/programming/questionaire/Files/questionaire.txt");
if(Files.exists(newFile))
{
//trying to add code here to add an number on the end. i.e. questionaire1.txt
}

try
{
Files.deleteIfExists(newFile);
newFile = Files.createFile(newFile);
}
catch (IOException e)
{
System.out.println("Error Creating File!");
}
System.out.println(Files.exists(newFile));

try(BufferedWriter writer = Files.newBufferedWriter(newFile,Charset.defaultCha rset()))
{
writer.append(q1);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q2);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q3);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q4);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q5);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q6);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q7);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q8);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q9);
writer.newLine();
writer.append(q10);
writer.newLine();
writer.flush();
}
catch(IOException exception)
{
System.out.println("Error writing to file");
}

System.exit(0);

}

Norm, I know a little bit about arrays, but my programming experience is very low.

would I put

q1 = answer1.getText();
q2 = answer2.getText();
q3 = answer3.getText();
q4 = answer4.getText();
q5 = answer5.getText();
q6 = answer6.getText();
q7 = answer7.getText();
q8 = answer8.getText();
q9 = answer9.getText();
q10 = answer10.getText();

into an array, but that would just make it prettier though, wouldn't it.

What array would I use (treeset, map or hashset)?

Would putting it into an array solve my problem?

That is the problem I am having, trying to create a new file every time the program is run and the submit button is pressed. I would like to theoretically take all the answers and have it sent to an email address (that is way beyond my skills) instead.

I would like students to anonymously answer the 10 questions and when they press the submit button, the answers are collated and sent to a folder, where I can then extract the data and input into excel, but not overwrite the previous file.

Thank you both for your help, I have decided to change it slightly so instead of creating new files each time, is to append to the original seperated by astrixis. If you have the time, would you be able to give me a small sample of how to input my answers into an array and iterate through them so they are written on the same document like I have done.

package questionaire;
 
import java.io.*;
import java.nio.charset.Charset;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.OpenOption;
import java.nio.file.Path;
import java.nio.file.Paths;
import java.nio.file.StandardOpenOption;
 
/**
 *
 * @author David Gilligan 21/02/2014
 */
public class recruitingQuestionaire extends javax.swing.JFrame
{
 
    /**
     * Creates new form recruitingQuestionaire
     */
    public recruitingQuestionaire()
    {
        initComponents();
    }
 
    /**
     * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
     * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
     * regenerated by the Form Editor.
     */
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    // <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">
    private void initComponents()
    {
 
        jLabel1 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel2 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        answer1 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel3 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        answer2 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel4 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel5 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel6 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel7 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel8 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel9 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel10 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jLabel11 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        answer3 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer4 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer9 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer6 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer5 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer7 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer8 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        answer10 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        resetButton = new javax.swing.JButton();
        submitButton = new javax.swing.JButton();
 
        setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
 
        jLabel1.setText("Recruitment Questionaire");
 
        jLabel2.setText("Q1. How old are you?");
 
        jLabel3.setText("Q2. What town are you from?");
 
        jLabel4.setText("Q3.");
 
        jLabel5.setText("Q9");
 
        jLabel6.setText("Q8");
 
        jLabel7.setText("Q6");
 
        jLabel8.setText("Q4.");
 
        jLabel9.setText("Q5.");
 
        jLabel10.setText("Q7");
 
        jLabel11.setText("Q10.");
 
        resetButton.setText("Reset Form");
        resetButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener()
        {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)
            {
                resetButtonActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });
 
        submitButton.setText("Submit Form");
        submitButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener()
        {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)
            {
                submitButtonActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });
 
        javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
        getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
        layout.setHorizontalGroup(
            layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
                    .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING)
                        .addComponent(answer10, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                        .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
                            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                                .addGap(33, 33, 33)
                                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel3)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel2)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel4)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel8)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel9)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel7)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel10)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel6)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel5)
                                    .addComponent(jLabel11)))
                            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                                .addGap(51, 51, 51)
                                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING)
                                    .addComponent(answer2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 129, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 127, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 129, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer4, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer5, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer6, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer7, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer8, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                                    .addComponent(answer9, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 128, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)))))
                    .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                        .addGap(88, 88, 88)
                        .addComponent(resetButton)
                        .addGap(42, 42, 42)
                        .addComponent(submitButton)))
                .addContainerGap(javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, Short.MAX_VALUE))
            .addGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING, layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addGap(0, 0, Short.MAX_VALUE)
                .addComponent(jLabel1)
                .addGap(94, 94, 94))
        );
        layout.setVerticalGroup(
            layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addContainerGap()
                .addComponent(jLabel1)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.UNRELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel2)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.UNRELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel3)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.UNRELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel4)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.UNRELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel8)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer4, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(5, 5, 5)
                .addComponent(jLabel9)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer5, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(3, 3, 3)
                .addComponent(jLabel7)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer6, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel10)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer7, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel6)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer8, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel5)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer9, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(jLabel11)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(answer10, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED, 32, Short.MAX_VALUE)
                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                    .addComponent(resetButton)
                    .addComponent(submitButton)))
        );
 
        pack();
    }// </editor-fold>
 
    private void resetButtonActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)
    {
        answer1.setText("");
        answer2.setText("");
        answer3.setText("");
        answer4.setText("");
        answer5.setText("");
        answer6.setText("");
        answer7.setText("");
        answer8.setText("");
        answer9.setText("");
        answer10.setText("");
 
    }
 
    private void submitButtonActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)
    {
        String q1,q2,q3,q4,q5,q6,q7,q8,q9,q10;
        q1 = answer1.getText();
        q2 = answer2.getText();
        q3 = answer3.getText();
        q4 = answer4.getText();
        q5 = answer5.getText();
        q6 = answer6.getText();
        q7 = answer7.getText();
        q8 = answer8.getText();
        q9 = answer9.getText();
        q10 = answer10.getText();
 
        Path newFile = Paths.get("C:/Users/David/Desktop/programming/questionaire/Files/Questionaires.txt");
 
        try
        {
           newFile = Files.createFile(newFile);
        }
        catch (IOException e)
        {
            System.out.println("Error Creating File!");
        }
        System.out.println(Files.exists(newFile));
 
        try(BufferedWriter writer = Files.newBufferedWriter(newFile,Charset.forName("UTF-8"),new OpenOption[] {StandardOpenOption.APPEND}))
        {
            writer.append(q1);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q2);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q3);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q4);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q5);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q6);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q7);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q8);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q9);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append(q10);
            writer.newLine();
            writer.append("************************");
            writer.newLine();
            writer.flush();
        }
        catch(IOException exception)
        {
            System.out.println("Error writing to file");
        }
 
        System.exit(0);
 
 
    }
 
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        /* Set the Nimbus look and feel */
        //<editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc=" Look and feel setting code (optional) ">
        /* If Nimbus (introduced in Java SE 6) is not available, stay with the default look and feel.
         * For details see [url]http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/lookandfeel/plaf.html[/url] 
         */
        try
        {
            for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels())
            {
                if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName()))
                {
                    javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                    break;
                }
            }
        }
        catch (ClassNotFoundException ex)
        {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(
                    recruitingQuestionaire.class.getName()).log(
                    java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        catch (InstantiationException ex)
        {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(
                    recruitingQuestionaire.class.getName()).log(
                    java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        catch (IllegalAccessException ex)
        {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(
                    recruitingQuestionaire.class.getName()).log(
                    java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        catch (javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex)
        {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(
                    recruitingQuestionaire.class.getName()).log(
                    java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        //</editor-fold>
 
        /* Create and display the form */
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable()
        {
            public void run()
            {
                new recruitingQuestionaire().setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }
    // Variables declaration - do not modify
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer1;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer10;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer2;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer3;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer4;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer5;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer6;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer7;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer8;
    private javax.swing.JTextField answer9;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel1;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel10;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel11;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel2;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel3;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel4;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel5;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel6;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel7;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel8;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel9;
    private javax.swing.JButton resetButton;
    private javax.swing.JButton submitButton;
    // End of variables declaration
}

Solved then?