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Java File Class String[] list() method with Example

Java File Class String[] list() method: Here, we are going to learn about the String[] list() method of File class with its syntax and example.
Submitted by Preeti Jain, on July 08, 2019

File Class String[] list()

• This method is available in package java.io.File.list().
• This method is used to return the names of all the files in the form of an array of strings which is represented in the filepath.
• The return type of this method is String[] i.e. It returns an array of strings of all the files which is represented in filepath if the given path is directory else return null.
• This method may raise an exception( i.e. Security Exception) if the write access is not given to the file.
• This method is overridable. The first method does not accept any parameter and the second method accept one parameter.

Syntax:

    String[] list(){
    }

Parameter(s):

We don't pass any object as a parameter in the method of the File.

Return value:

The return type of this method is String[] i.e. it returns all files names in an array of strings which is represented in a filepath.

Java program to demonstrate example of list() method

// import the File class because we will use File class methods
import java.io.File;

// import the Exception class because it may raise an 
// exception when working with files
import java.lang.Exception;

public class ToListFiles {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            // Specify the path of file and we use double slashes to 
            // escape '\' character sequence for windows otherwise 
            // it will be considerable as url.
            File file = new File("C:\\Users\\computer clinic\\OneDrive\\Articles");

            // By using list() returns all the files and directories 
            // which is represented in a file path if file path is a directory .
            String[] filelist = file.list();
            System.out.println("These are the name of files represented in a given directory :" + file.getPath());

            // By using loop to traverse the filenames and directories 
            // in the given path .
            for (int i = 0; i < filelist.length; i++)
                System.out.println(filelist[i]);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("An error occurred.");
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Output

D:\Programs>javac ToListFiles.java

D:\Programs>java ToListFiles
These are the name of files represented in a given directory : C:\Users\computer clinic\OneDrive\Articles
Java LinkedList addFirst.docx
myjava.txt
Pattern_in_java.docx
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unpublished_article.docx