The Stream Classes - java.io

The Stream Classes

Java’s stream-based I/O is built upon four abstract classes: InputStream, OutputStream, Reader, and Writer. These classes were briefly discussed in Chapter 13. They are used to create several concrete stream subclasses. Although your programs perform their I/O operations through concrete subclasses, the top-level classes define the basic functionality common to all stream classes.

InputStream and OutputStream are designed for byte streams. Reader and Writer are designed for character streams. The byte stream classes and the character stream classes form separate hierarchies. In general, you should use the character stream classes when working with characters or strings and use the byte stream classes when working with bytes or other binary objects.

In the remainder of this chapter, both the byte- and character-oriented streams are examined.