Accessing Files and Directories - Beginning Java - page 418

A second version of the resolve() method accepts a String argument. This converts the argument to a
Path object and then works in the same way as the version previously mentioned.
The relativize() method is the inverse of the resolve() method. It returns a Path object that, when
resolved against the current path, results in the Path argument. Thus if the current path is C:\Junk and the
argument path is C:\Junk\Temp1\Temp2 then the path \Temp1\Temp2 is returned.
The resolveSibling() method resolves the path supplied as the argument against the parent of the path
for which you call the method. So if you call this method for a Path object representing "C:\junk\file"
with the argument Path object representing "newFile" , the method returns a Path object representing
"C:\junk\newFile" . An overload of the method accepts an argument of type String to specify the path.
This is useful when we get to renaming files later in this chapter.
CREATING AND DELETING DIRECTORIES AND
FILES
When you need to write a new file, you obviously have to be able to create the file initially, and in many
cases, you create a new directory that is to contain the file. I discuss creating directories first and then move
on to file creation.
NOTE All the directories and files that the examples create in this and subsequent chapters
are on the D: drive or partition. I have coded them like this to avoid adding them to my C:
drive, which is my system drive. If you do not have a drive or partition D: you need to change
the paths in the examples to suit your environment. Take extra care to avoid typos in paths if
they reference your system drive.
Creating Directories
You create a directory by calling the static createDirectory() method in the Files class with a Path ob-
ject that specifies the directory to be created as the argument. This can be an absolute or a relative path. The
new directory is appended to the current directory if the Path object is a relative path. Here's how you could
create a new directory in the current directory:
Path path =Paths.get("newDir");
try {
Files.createDirectory(path);
} catch(IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace(System.err);
}
This creates the directory newDir in the current directory. The createDirectory() method throws an
exception of type java.nio.FileAlreadyExistsException if a file or directory exists in the directory in
which you are creating the new directory with the same name as the directory you are trying to create. With