If the file I am trying to read is in the same package as the java file I'm working with, why am I still getting a “FileNotFoundException”?

Question

I am trying to read a file in my java program called HelloJavaTest.java but I keep on getting a FileNotFoundException error.

The file I'm trying to import ( hello.txt ) is in the same package as HelloJavaTest.java (package: java_files).

Here is the message that pops up when I try to compile the code:

Exception in thread "main" java.io.FileNotFoundException: \java_files\hello.txt (No such file or directory)
at java.io.FileInputStream.open(Native Method)
at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(FileInputStream.java:120)
at java.util.Scanner.<init>(Scanner.java:636)
at java_files.HelloJavaTest.main(HelloJavaTest.java:42)

Here is what I have at the top of my code:

import java.io.*;  // for File
import java.util.Scanner;

Answer 1

As the comments have correctly pointed that file reading and importing packages are not related.

Here \\java_files\\hello.txt looks like the program is trying to find java_files directory in the root directory \\ , but is not able to find it.

You should not fiddle with paths if the file is located within the project.

Try using

URL url = Main.class.getClassLoader().getResource("test.txt");
System.out.println(url.getPath());
File f = new File(url.getPath());

Use the class loader to find the resource.