Chapter 10: The Java IO system

Theoretically, you can divide any program into three parts: input, process, and
output. This implies that IO (input/output) is a pretty important part of the
equation. In this chapter you’ll learn about the different classes that Java provides
for reading and writing files, blocks of memory, and the console. The distinction
between “old” IO and “new” Java 1.1 IO will be shown. In addition, this section
examines the process of taking an object, “streaming” it (so that it can be placed on
disk or sent across a network) and reconstructing it, which is handled for you in
Java version 1.1. Also, Java 1.1’s compression libraries, which are used in the Java
ARchive file format (JAR), are examined.