Thread: Copy Method screw ups

Okay my war right now before I end up ripping my hair out is my copy method. I see the error in Netbeans(the IDE I am using), the problem is in my copy method, and I just don't see where I am going wrong with this. I declare my

FileInputStream from = null;
FileOutputStream to = null;

Now when I use,
from = new FileInputStream(textField); //Stream from file
to = new FileOutputStream(textField1); //Stream to copy file

It's an obvious error, why is this? I'm not looking for the exact answer on fixing it. I am looking on guidance.

package synch;
 
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.io.*;
 
public class Synch extends JPanel {
 
 
    private JButton setSource = new JButton("Set Source");
    private JButton setTarget = new JButton("Set Target");
    private JButton copyButton = new JButton("Copy!");
    private JTextField textField = new JTextField(" ");
    private JTextField textField1 = new JTextField(" ");
    private JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
 
    private JMenuItem Exit, oneWaySynch, twoWaySynch, Help, About, HelpMe;
 
 
    public Synch(){
        JFrame prog = new JFrame("Chris's file synchronization");
        prog.setSize(500,500);
        prog.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);;
 
        JMenuBar jmb = new JMenuBar();
        prog.setJMenuBar(jmb);
        JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
        jmb.add(fileMenu);
        fileMenu.add(oneWaySynch = new JMenuItem(" One way Synch "));
        fileMenu.add(twoWaySynch = new JMenuItem(" Two way Synch "));
        fileMenu.add(Exit = new JMenuItem("Exit"));
 
        JMenu helpMenu = new JMenu("Help");
        jmb.add(helpMenu);
        helpMenu.add(HelpMe = new JMenuItem("Help"));
        helpMenu.add(About = new JMenuItem("About"));      
 
 
        prog.setLayout(new BorderLayout());    
 
        JPanel outterPanel = new JPanel();              
        outterPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1));
 
        //Set up the top panel of the outer panel
        JPanel topPannel = new JPanel();      
        topPannel.add(textField);
        textField.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300,30));
        topPannel.add(setSource);
 
        //Set up the bottom panel of the outer panel
        JPanel bottomPanel = new JPanel(); 
        bottomPanel.add(textField1);
        textField1.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300,30));
        bottomPanel.add(setTarget);
 
        //Add the top and bottom panels to the outer panel
        outterPanel.add(topPannel);
        outterPanel.add(bottomPanel);
 
        prog.add(outterPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
 
        JPanel Pane3 = new JPanel();
        fc.setControlButtonsAreShown(false);
        fc.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.DIRECTORIES_ONLY);
        Pane3.add(fc, FlowLayout.LEFT);              
        prog.add(Pane3, BorderLayout.CENTER);
 
 
 
        JPanel Pane4 = new JPanel();
        Pane4.add(copyButton, FlowLayout.LEFT);
        prog.add(Pane4, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
 
 
        Exit.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               exitMethod();
           }
        });
 
         oneWaySynch.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               oneWayMethod();
           }
        });     
 
        twoWaySynch.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               twoWayMethod();
           }
        });
 
         HelpMe.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               helpMethod();
            }
            });
 
         About.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               aboutMethod();           
            }
            });         
 
         setSource.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               setSourceMethod();           
            }
            });
 
         setTarget.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               setTargetMethod();           
            }
            });
 
 
         copyButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               copyMethod();           
            }
            });  
 
        prog.setVisible(true); //Display the window to the user!      
 
    } //end of method Synch()
 
        public void exitMethod() {
            if(JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,"Are you sure you want it to close?", "Confirm Exit", JOptionPane.YES_NO_OPTION)==JOptionPane.YES_OPTION)
                System.exit(0);  
        }
 
 
        public void oneWayMethod() {
            //Read the next file in the source directory
 
            //See if it exists in the target directory
 
            //  if it does, check to see if it is EXACTLY the same file
 
            //  if not copy the file
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "One way sync has been activated.");
 
 
        }
        public void twoWayMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Two way sync has been activated.");
 
        }
 
        public void aboutMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "This is a file synchronization program, to speed things up, and over all make it easier for you.");
               }
 
        public void helpMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "If you are needing assistance please contact me via email: egamespaypal@gmail.com or by phone 1-901-619-9413.");
 
 
        }
 
        public void setSourceMethod() {
            //read the directory that the file chooser is currently sitting on
             textField.setText(fc.getCurrentDirectory().toString());
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "The source has been locked in!");
 
 
        }
 
 
        public void setTargetMethod() {
            //read the directory that the file chooser is currently sitting on
            textField1.setText(fc.getCurrentDirectory().toString());
 
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "The target location has been locked in!");
 
 
        }
 
        public void copyMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Copying has commenced, watch the magic happen!");
 
            FileInputStream from = null;
            FileOutputStream to  = null;
 
//Size of buffer 
            int buffSize = 4000; 
//Start reading
            try {    
 
            from = new FileInputStream(textField);         //Stream from file 
            to   = new FileOutputStream(textField1);      //Stream to copy file
            byte[] charBuffer = new byte[buffSize];
 
            int numRead;    //to keep track of where you are in the file
//Loop through the file taking in buffSize bytes and copying them to _toF.
            while((numRead = from.read(charBuffer)) != -1 )     // -1 so we don't get out of bounds
            to.write(charBuffer, 0, numRead);      //This will copy our code in chunks
} finally {
//close all our streams
}
 
 
        }
 
}

my main

package synch;
 
 
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import java.awt.*;
 
public class Main {
 
 
 
 
public static void main(String[] args) {        
 
        try{
 
            Synch myProg = new Synch();
 
 
        }
 
        catch(Exception Ex){
 
 
    }
 
 
 
    }
 
}

Please show me where in the Java API the FileInputStream class has a constructor that takes a JTextField as a parameter.

In future if code has compilation errors, copy and paste the EXACT error message.

Hey Junky,

I am a novice to Java programming, and working my way around it. So it's probably something simple that I am just not understanding.

The error at that line is as followed

"cannot find symbol
symbol : constructor FileInputStream(javax.swing.JTextField)
location: class java.io.FileInputStream"

On both lines. I implemented import java.io.*; at the top, so shouldn't that get rid of it? This is my first time ever working with import.java.io.*; functionality so making this copy method is completely new stuff to me.

If you can throw me some much needed knowledge, it'll be helpful!

Thank you.

Okay I did some looking up, and made it....

from = new FileInputStream(textField.toString()); //Stream from file
to = new FileOutputStream(textField1.toString()); //Stream to copy file

And I thought I nailed my error on the head, then I wind up with,

unreported exception java.io.FileNotFoundException; must be caught or declared to be thrown

What's going on here?

Just as the error message states, you are not handling the exception. Whenever you do file IO there is a possiblility that the file you are trying to access does not exist, therefore a FileNotFoundException will be thrown. You need to use a try/catch statement to handle this possibility.

Thank you so much!!

Well that took out my errors, and so on. But now my file copy method just does not work. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong?

package synch;
 
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.io.*;
 
public class Synch extends JPanel {
 
 
    private JButton setSource = new JButton("Set Source");
    private JButton setTarget = new JButton("Set Target");
    private JButton copyButton = new JButton("Copy!");
    private JTextField textField = new JTextField(" ");
    private JTextField textField1 = new JTextField(" ");
    private JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
 
    private JMenuItem Exit, oneWaySynch, twoWaySynch, Help, About, HelpMe;
 
 
    public Synch(){
        JFrame prog = new JFrame("Chris's file synchronization");
        prog.setSize(500,500);
        prog.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);;
 
        JMenuBar jmb = new JMenuBar();
        prog.setJMenuBar(jmb);
        JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
        jmb.add(fileMenu);
        fileMenu.add(oneWaySynch = new JMenuItem(" One way Synch "));
        fileMenu.add(twoWaySynch = new JMenuItem(" Two way Synch "));
        fileMenu.add(Exit = new JMenuItem("Exit"));
 
        JMenu helpMenu = new JMenu("Help");
        jmb.add(helpMenu);
        helpMenu.add(HelpMe = new JMenuItem("Help"));
        helpMenu.add(About = new JMenuItem("About"));      
 
 
        prog.setLayout(new BorderLayout());    
 
        JPanel outterPanel = new JPanel();              
        outterPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,1));
 
        //Set up the top panel of the outer panel
        JPanel topPannel = new JPanel();      
        topPannel.add(textField);
        textField.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300,30));
        topPannel.add(setSource);
 
        //Set up the bottom panel of the outer panel
        JPanel bottomPanel = new JPanel(); 
        bottomPanel.add(textField1);
        textField1.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300,30));
        bottomPanel.add(setTarget);
 
        //Add the top and bottom panels to the outer panel
        outterPanel.add(topPannel);
        outterPanel.add(bottomPanel);
 
        prog.add(outterPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
 
        JPanel Pane3 = new JPanel();
        fc.setControlButtonsAreShown(false);
        fc.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.FILES_AND_DIRECTORIES);
        Pane3.add(fc, FlowLayout.LEFT);              
        prog.add(Pane3, BorderLayout.CENTER);
 
 
 
        JPanel Pane4 = new JPanel();
        Pane4.add(copyButton, FlowLayout.LEFT);
        prog.add(Pane4, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
 
 
        Exit.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               exitMethod();
           }
        });
 
         oneWaySynch.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               oneWayMethod();
           }
        });     
 
        twoWaySynch.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
           public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               twoWayMethod();
           }
        });
 
         HelpMe.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               helpMethod();
            }
            });
 
         About.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               aboutMethod();           
            }
            });         
 
         setSource.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               setSourceMethod();           
            }
            });
 
         setTarget.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               setTargetMethod();           
            }
            });
 
 
         copyButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e){
               copyMethod();           
            }
            });  
 
        prog.setVisible(true); //Display the window to the user!      
 
    } //end of method Synch()
 
        public void exitMethod() {
            if(JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,"Are you sure you want it to close?", "Confirm Exit", JOptionPane.YES_NO_OPTION)==JOptionPane.YES_OPTION)
                System.exit(0);  
        }
 
 
        public void oneWayMethod() {
            //Read the next file in the source directory
 
            //See if it exists in the target directory
 
            //  if it does, check to see if it is EXACTLY the same file
 
            //  if not copy the file
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "One way sync has been activated.");
 
 
        }
        public void twoWayMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Two way sync has been activated.");
 
        }
 
        public void aboutMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "This is a file synchronization program, to speed things up, and over all make it easier for you.");
               }
 
        public void helpMethod() {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "If you are needing assistance please contact me ");
 
 
        }
 
        public void setSourceMethod() {
            //read the directory that the file chooser is currently sitting on
             textField.setText(fc.getSelectedFile().toString());
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "The source has been locked in!");
 
 
        }
 
 
        public void setTargetMethod() {
            //read the directory that the file chooser is currently sitting on
            textField1.setText(fc.getSelectedFile().toString());
 
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "The target location has been locked in!");
 
 
        }
 
        public void copyMethod() {
   //         JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Copying has commenced, watch the magic happen!");
 
            FileInputStream from = null;
            FileOutputStream to  = null;
 
//Size of buffer (too much will crash)
            int buffSize = 4000; 
//Start 
            try {    
 
 
            from = new FileInputStream(textField.toString());         //Stream from file 
            to   = new FileOutputStream(textField1.toString());      //Stream to copy file
            byte[] charBuffer = new byte[buffSize];
 
            int numRead;    //to keep track of where you are in the file
           //Loop through the file taking in buffSize bytes and copying them to textField1
            while((numRead = from.read(charBuffer)) != -1 )     // -1 so no out of bounds
            to.write(charBuffer, 0, numRead);      //This will copy code
} 
 
            catch(Exception Ex){
        }
}
}

Try debugging your code by adding some println()s to the method you are having problems with to show how the variables' values are changing. For example print out what is being read in: the chars and the number read.

The FileInputStream class has three constructors:

FileInputStream(File file);
FileInputStream(FileDescriptor fdObj);
FileInputStream(String name);

You're using the third one, correctly providing an instance of String as the argument. However, you're trying to obtain the filenames via JTextField's toString() method. You should use getText(), like so:

FileInputStream sourcef = new FileInputStream(textField.getText());

Whenever you have doubts about the functioning of a class, you should consult the official API. You would've found your solution by verifying the following links:

FileInputStream (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.2)
JTextField (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.2)