Question

I am currently working on a homework assignment and I am thoroughly stuck. I am on the last question and I just can not figure out how to go about accomplishing the last task. Below is the tasks I had to complete:

---

1. The client should
   save the file in the “client”
   subdirectory of the home directory.

2. Test your program. Be sure it works
   with binary files, not just text
   files. Be sure it works when both
   programs are on the same machine as
   well as when they are separated over
   the network.

---

Thus far when I start the server it asks what port I want to use. Then I start the client and it asks what IP and port to use. The the server immediately sends a list of the files in the home directory “server” folder. I then respond with the client with the file number I wish to download. This is where I get stuck. I can’t seem to find any information about how to do this. So as you can see in my code posted below, I am trying to use a FileInputReader to convert the file to an array of bytes. Then I am sending that to the client. I am then trying to FileOutputReader the recieved array of bytes to a file. But I can’t seem to find the correct methods to do that, or even if I am doing that correctly.

CLIENT

        int i = 0;
        while(i < 1000){
        String modifiedSentence = inFromServer.readLine();
        System.out.println("From Server: " + modifiedSentence);
        i++;
        }

        while(j < 1000) {
        int byteString = inFromServer.read();
        ArrayList<byte[]> bytes = new ArrayList<byte[]>();
        bytes.add(byteString);
        }
        Integer byteInt = new Integer(byteString);
        FileOutputStream fo = new FileOutputStream(System.getProperty("user.home")+ "/client/text.txt");
        fo.write(byteInt.byteValue());

    }
}

SERVER

            byte[] bytes = new byte[1024];
            FileInputStream fi = new FileInputStream(file.toString() + fileArray[userChoiceInt]);
            fi.read(bytes, 0, 1024);
            outToClient.write(bytes, 0, 1024);

        }
    }
}

If anyone could offer any advice or the correct classes or methods to use I would appreciate it.

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Without spoiling the whole thing here’s some hints.

This can be easily accomplish by using Socket (Server & Client). Using byte[] for transfering the file(s) will ensure that your program will work with both ascii and binary file(s).

Another approach would be to use the build in Remote Method Invocation (RMI). I haven’t transfered file using this approach but I’m sure it’s feasible.

And in case you didn’t know, getting the user home directory is accomplished with the following call: System.getProperty( “user.home” );