Thread: Problem Using DataStream

I used DataStream to write some primitive type data to a file, and then read it back. The data was read back and displayed on the console fine, but when i saw the file i was writing to i found lots of special characters- pounds signs and all. Here is the code :

import java.io.*;
class Data{
	static final double[] prices = {12.22,11.11,13.33,14.44,15.55};
	static final int[] qtys = {1,2,3,4,5};
	static final String[] descs = {"space shuttle", "titan", "cassini", "black hole", "proxima centauri"};
	public static void main(String ...arg) throws Exception{
		DataOutputStream o = new DataOutputStream(new BufferedOutputStream(new FileOutputStream("Cosmos.txt")));
		for(int i=0;i<5;i++){
			o.writeDouble(prices[i]);
			o.writeInt(qtys[i]);
			o.writeUTF(descs[i]);
		}
		o.close();
		DataInputStream di = new DataInputStream(new BufferedInputStream(new FileInputStream("Cosmos.txt")));
		double price;
		int qty;
		String desc;
		try{
			while(true){
				price = di.readDouble();
				qty = di.readInt();
				desc = di.readUTF();
				System.out.format("You Ordered %d units of %s at Rs.%.2f %n", qty, desc, price);			
				System.out.println();
			}
		}catch(EOFException e){
			System.out.println("Done!!");
		}
		di.close();
	}
}

Please help!

This should be an expected behavior because you are writing datatypes of different sizes...a text file contains single byte (or 2 byte for unicode) characters. However when you write an int (4 bytes) or double (8 bytes) then the reader tries to read these values as chars (4 char or 8 char, respectively) which often leaves the output looking just as you explain.

Originally Posted by copeg

This should be an expected behavior because you are writing datatypes of different sizes...a text file contains single byte (or 2 byte for unicode) characters. However when you write an int (4 bytes) or double (8 bytes) then the reader tries to read these values as chars (4 char or 8 char, respectively) which often leaves the output looking just as you explain.

But is that not exactly the problem Data Streams are meant to handle?
I mean if they are capable of outputting primitive type data to a file, but i don't see the data...something just seems amiss. Isn't there a way then, to output such integer type data?

i don't see the data

How are you trying to "see the data"?
The data in the file is in the same format it has in the computer. Purely bits and bytes. It has not been converted to text characters for human viewing.
If you want to "see the data" as characters then you need to convert the data to Strings.
Do a Google on ASCII characters to see the "values" for the viewable characters. For example the char '1' has a decimal value of 49.

How to report this junk?

Originally Posted by Norm

How to report this junk?

Junk removed. There should be a report post icon at the top right of the post itself which should notify the mods