How to Check if a File Exists in Java?

In Java programming, working with files is now a more common task. Developing a code to manage file automatization using Java. In this article, we will discuss how to check if a file exists in Java. By using the java.io.File class we will discuss two methods to check if a file exists or not.

Approaches to check if a file exists in Java

We have two ways to get the list of all the files in a directory in Java.

• Using exists() method in java.io.File
• Using java.nio.file Package

Java Program to Check If a File Exists

Below are the implementations of the two approaches using the Java programming language.

1. Using exists() Method in java.io.File class

This is the old way to check if a file exists by using the exists() method in the java.io.File class. Now, let us understand this with the help of an example:

// Java Program to Check File Existence
import java.io.File;

// Driver Class
public class FileExistenceExample {
      // main function
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      
        // Mention the specific file path
        String filePath = "C:\Users\GFG0354\Documents\JavaCode";

        // Create a file object for the specified file
        File file = new File(filePath);

        // Check if the file exists
        if (file.exists()) {
            System.out.println("File Exists");
        } else {
            System.out.println("File does not Exist.");
        }
    }
}

Output in Console:

Explanation of the above Program:

• In the above example, it checks if a file exists at a specified path. It uses the File class to represent the file and checks its existence with the exists() method.
• If the file exists, it prints "File Exists"; otherwise, it prints "File does not Exist."

2. Using java.nio.file Package

This is the new way to check which was introduced in Java New I/O in Java 7. The java.nio.file.Files class provides a method called exists(). Now, let us understand this with the help of an example:

// Java Program to Check File Existence Using NIO (java.nio.file)
import java.nio.file.FileSystems;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Path;

// Driver Class
public class FileExistenceNIOExample {
    // main function
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Specify the file path
        String filePath = "C:\\Users\\GFG0354\\Documents\\JavaCode";

        // Create a Path object for the specified file
        Path path = FileSystems.getDefault().getPath(filePath);

        // Check if the file exists
        if (Files.exists(path)) {
            System.out.println("File Exists");
        } else {
            System.out.println("File does not Exist");
        }
    }
}

Output in Console:

Explanation of the above Program:

• In the above example, it uses the NIO (New I/O) package to check the existence of a file at a specified path.
• It employs the FileSystems and Files classes to create a Path object for the file and verify its existence with the Files.exists() method.
• If the file exists, it prints "File Exist"; otherwise, it prints "File does not Exist."