Java FileNotFoundException although file is there

Question

I set up the method to try/catch this error. My issue is that it catches the fileNotFoundException for Trivia.txt even when I explicitly created Trivia.txt in the same package. I can't figure out why the file is not being found. I did some looking around for the answer to my problem, and had no luck. Anyway, here's my code

public static void readFile(){
    try{
        File file = new File("Trivia.txt");
        FileReader fr = new FileReader(file);
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr);

        while((line = br.readLine()) != null){
            System.out.println(line);

        }

        br.close();

    } 
    catch(FileNotFoundException e){
        System.out.println("file not found");
        System.out.println();
    }
    catch(IOException e){
        System.out.println("error reading file");
    }


}

The code here is just a method of the TextHandler class that is called statically by WindowComp class (totally unrelated class). The package is mainPackage which holds the main() and WindowComp() and textHandler() alond with Triva.Txt

Cairngorm

What do you mean, "created in package?" Please show your directory structure. – Pickaback

Answer 1

Try loading your file as a Resource, like this

URL fileURL = this.getClass().getResource("Trivia.txt");
File file = new File(fileURL.getPath());

This will load your file from the same package of the class who loads the resource.

You can also provide an absolute path for your file, using

URL fileURL = this.getClass().getResource("/my/package/to/Trivia.txt");

Theocritus

Answer 2

The way you open the file, it's supposed to be found in the current working directory, not in the subdirectory your source is found.

Try System.out.println(file.getCanonicalPath()) in order to find out where the code is expecting the file.

Pimento

I've found that getAbsolutePath() usually works as well, and throws fewer exceptions. – Win

Answer 3

If the file is found somewhere away from the current package of the class, you can also provide an absolute path directly to the constructor:

File file = new File("path/to/file/Trivia.txt");

You can also use a different constructor such as the one indicated in this answer:
Java - creating new file, how do I specify the directory with a method?

For further information, there's always the documentation: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/io/File.html

Lyceum