Saving files in .txt format using JFileChooser.

[thejaswini ramesh]

Hi Everyone,

I need to be able to save files in .txt format using JFileChooser. For this I have used the following filter:

 public class TextFileFilter extends javax.swing.filechooser.FileFilter {
    public boolean accept(File f) {
        return f.isDirectory() || f.getName().toLowerCase().endsWith(".txt");
    }
    
    public String getDescription() {
        return "*.txt";
    } 
} 
 
// The panel which has a "Save" button and the action Listener to handle it.
JButton saveLabel = new JButton("Save Label");
fc = new JFileChooser();
fc.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.FILES_AND_DIRECTORIES);
filter = new TextFileFilter();
fc.setFileFilter(filter);
 

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ev) 
{
  if(ev.getSource() == saveLabel)
  {
     int returnVal = fc.showSaveDialog((this.getPanel()));
     if (returnVal == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
 
      File file = fc.getSelectedFile();
      try{
boolean isFile = false;
if(!file.exists())
isFile = file.createNewFile();

FileWriter outFile = new FileWriter(file);
        PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(outFile,true);
        out.println("data");
        out.close();
      }
      catch(IOException e){}
} 
 
     }
  }
 
}
 
 

This works as long as the user types the file name along with extn while saving(like ex.txt), but when only name is typed(like ex) and the file type is chosen as txt, the file is not saved. Can someone please tell me whr am going wrong?

Thanks in Advance,
Thejaswini.

[rohit leeta]

Check the filename returned from file chooser, if it has ".txt" extension, do nothing, else append ".txt" to its name before saving it.

[thejaswini ramesh]

Thanks Rohit!

I have already done that and its still not working. Moreover, we need an instance of File as an argument for FileWriter - just appending .txt to the name is not helping.
[ May 03, 2007: Message edited by: thejaswini ramesh ]

[Ulf Dittmer]

Moreover, we need an instance of File as an argument for FileWriter - just appending .txt to the name is not helping.

Does this mean you're not sure how to to create a File (or FileWriter) object if you have the file name as a string?
[ May 03, 2007: Message edited by: Ulf Dittmer ]

[thejaswini ramesh]

Does this mean you're not sure how to to create a File (or FileWriter) object if you have the file name as a string?

Well I have tried this as well:

File file = fc.getSelectedFile();
String fileName = file.getName();

String newFile = fileName + ".txt";

try{
boolean isFile = false;
if(!file.exists())
isFile = file.createNewFile(); // returns true which means file
// should have been created.

FileWriter outFile = new FileWriter(file);
PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(outFile,true);

out.println("data");
out.close();
}
catch(IOException e) {}

But still the file is not saved as desired when user enters file name without explicitly specifying the extn.

[Ulf Dittmer]

How would you even know what happens? Maybe there's an exception that is being ignored.

catch(IOException e) {}

This is almost always a bad idea, especially for IOException.

[thejaswini ramesh]

How would you even know what happens? Maybe there's an exception that is being ignored.

Sorry, now that you mentioned it, I did use this within the catch block:

System.out.println("Exception in reating file:"+e.getMessage());

But no exception is being logged. Am not able to figure out what's wrong as my code doesn't work only whn name is typed(without extn).

Thanks Ulf. Any inputs would be greatly appreaciated.

[rohit leeta]

String newFile = fileName + ".txt";

Well, you create new file name (newFile) here but never use it! Try to use it..

[Ulf Dittmer]

The next step is to call getAbsolutePath on the file object. You're only using the file name, not the directory - maybe the default directory isn't what you think it is?

[thejaswini ramesh]

The next step is to call getAbsolutePath on the file object. You're only using the file name, not the directory - maybe the default directory isn't what you think it is?

Thanks a million Ulf

That was exactly what the problem was, infact the file was getting created but not in the path whr I was looking for it!