HOWTO: Reading a File on a Web Server from an Applet

ID: Q180707

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

The following sample code shows how to read a file on a Web Server from an applet.


MORE INFORMATION

The class below shows how to read a text file named Readme.txt from the server. NOTE: Place all of the files in the same folder on the Web server.

The following steps give an example of how an applet can read a file on a Web Server:

  1. Create the following file, naming it ReadFile.java: 
    
// 
// ReadFile.java
// 
import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.applet.*;
import java.awt.*;

public class ReadFile extends Applet {
   public void start () {
      TextArea textArea=new TextArea();
      setLayout(new BorderLayout());
      add("Center",textArea);
      String text=null;
      try {
         URL url = new URL(getDocumentBase(),"readme.txt");
         DataInputStream stream = new
         DataInputStream(url.openStream());
         do {
            text = stream.readLine();
            if (text!=null) textArea.appendText(text+"\r\n");
         } while (text!=null);
      }
      catch (IOException e) {
         e.printStackTrace();
      }
   }
}


  2. Compile the ReadFile.java class, creating a ReadFile.class.


  3. Create a text file with at least one line of text and name it Readme.txt.


  4. Create an HTML file named ReadFile.html with the following code: 
    
<html>
<head>
<title>readfile</title>
</head>
<body>
<hr>
<applet
    code=ReadFile
    name=readfile
    width=320
    height=240 >
</applet>
<hr>
<a href="ReadFile.java">The source.</a>
</body>
</html>


  5. Put ReadFile.java, ReadFile.class, ReadFile.html, and Readme.txt in the same folder on your Web Server.


  6. Open ReadFile.html from Internet Explorer.


You should be able to see your text from Readme.txt on the applet.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : kbcode kbSDKJava300 kbSDKJava310 kbSDKJava320 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,2.0,2.01,2.02,3.0,3.1,3.2
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: July 9, 1999