Reading a plain text file in Java

Reading a plain text file in Java is a common task, and thankfully, there are multiple ways to do it depending on your use case. Java offers built-in classes like BufferedReader, Scanner, and Files (from java.nio) to make file reading efficient and flexible.

 Using BufferedReader

One of the most traditional and reliable ways:

BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("file.txt"));

String line;

while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {

    System.out.println(line);

}

reader.close();

• Good for reading large files line-by-line.
  
• Efficient and simple.
  

 Using Scanner

Great for token-based reading or simpler applications:

Scanner scanner = new Scanner(new File("file.txt"));

while (scanner.hasNextLine()) {

    System.out.println(scanner.nextLine());

}

scanner.close();

• Very readable and beginner-friendly.
  
• Offers more control for parsing words or numbers.
  

 Using Files.readAllLines() (Java 8+)

For smaller files where you just need all lines quickly:

List lines = Files.readAllLines(Paths.get("file.txt"));

lines.forEach(System.out::println);

Very concise.

Not suitable for huge files as it loads everything into memory.

 Summary:

• Use BufferedReader for line-by-line performance.
  
• Scanner is easier for simple needs.
  
• Files.readAllLines() is clean and fast for small files.