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Is it possible to create a File object from InputStream

java
stream-handling
file-creation
resource-management
Nikita BarsukovbyNikita Barsukov·Oct 13, 2024
TLDR

Turning an InputStream into a File, involves reading and writing bytes. For high performance, Files.copy() can be deployed:

InputStream inputStream = // Your InputStream Path outputPath = Files.createTempFile("prefix-", ".tmp"); Files.copy(inputStream, outputPath, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING); File file = outputPath.toFile();

This concise code-block creates a temporary file, writes the contents of the InputStream into it, and delivers a functional File.

Streamline your Operation

Crucial factors in InputStream to File conversion: efficiency and resource management. createTempFile() and Files.copy() efficiently streamline the process, cutting down on resource usage and precluding the need for firsthand byte-to-byte data transfer.

Systematic Error-handling and Resource Management

Efficient conversion of InputStream to File mandates rigorous error-handling and resource management. Implement a try-with-resources statement for careful management of resources and avoid potential memory leaks:

try (InputStream inputStream = // Your InputStream; FileOutputStream outputStream = new FileOutputStream("file.tmp")) { //PS: InputStream and OutputStream now "try-with-resources" best friends. ;) inputStream.transferTo(outputStream); } catch (FileNotFoundException e) { // Oops! Bible not found in hotel room. Handle this. } catch (IOException e) { // Oh no, I/O went M.I.A. Handle accordingly. }

This code block auto-closes the streams and handles potential exceptions.

A Walk on the Archive Side - Directly Reading RAR files

A notch above: breaking away from temporary files to directly access compressed archives, like RAR. Libraries like Apache Commons Compress can do wonders here:

try (InputStream inputStream = // Accessing RAR entry as an InputStream) { // Use InputStream operations // This InputStream is on a strict no temp file diet. }

This caters to scenarios requiring temporary files to be avoided, like restricted file system environments.

Upping your Game with Advanced Tools for File Creation

Sometimes you might need tools to pack a bigger punch than what Java NIO can offer. Apache Commons IO library comes to the rescue with the FileUtils.copyInputStreamToFile() method for easy writing to a file:

InputStream inputStream = // Your InputStream File targetFile = new File("targetFile.tmp"); FileUtils.copyInputStreamToFile(inputStream, targetFile); // Whoa! Did the stream just turn into a file? Quick, notify David Copperfield.

Using this abstracts away the implementation details of low-level stream handling and is especially handy in complex applications.

The Mighty Java 9 Enhancement: the transferTo

Java 9 upped the ante by adding transferTo method to the InputStream class, making stream copying a cakewalk:

inputStream.transferTo(new FileOutputStream("targetFile.tmp")); // Voila! Your InputStream does an instant Cinderella, transforming into a File.

This provides an efficient transfer mechanism, often quicker than the old-school loop and read approach. Thus, it proves useful when large data streams come into the picture.