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Transfer a file via SocketTag(s): Networking


A client module connects to a server then a file is sent to the client.

This example is very simple with no authentication and hard-coded filename!

First the server module.

import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.net.ServerSocket;
import java.net.Socket;

public class SimpleFileServer {

  public final static int SOCKET_PORT = 13267;  // you may change this
  public final static String FILE_TO_SEND = "c:/temp/source.pdf";  // you may change this

  public static void main (String [] args ) throws IOException {
    FileInputStream fis = null;
    BufferedInputStream bis = null;
    OutputStream os = null;
    ServerSocket servsock = null;
    Socket sock = null;
    try {
      servsock = new ServerSocket(SOCKET_PORT);
      while (true) {
        System.out.println("Waiting...");
        try {
          sock = servsock.accept();
          System.out.println("Accepted connection : " + sock);
          // send file
          File myFile = new File (FILE_TO_SEND);
          byte [] mybytearray  = new byte [(int)myFile.length()];
          fis = new FileInputStream(myFile);
          bis = new BufferedInputStream(fis);
          bis.read(mybytearray,0,mybytearray.length);
          os = sock.getOutputStream();
          System.out.println("Sending " + FILE_TO_SEND + "(" + mybytearray.length + " bytes)");
          os.write(mybytearray,0,mybytearray.length);
          os.flush();
          System.out.println("Done.");
        }
        finally {
          if (bis != null) bis.close();
          if (os != null) os.close();
          if (sock!=null) sock.close();
        }
      }
    }
    finally {
      if (servsock != null) servsock.close();
    }
  }
}

The client module

import java.io.BufferedOutputStream;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.net.Socket;

public class SimpleFileClient {

  public final static int SOCKET_PORT = 13267;      // you may change this
  public final static String SERVER = "127.0.0.1";  // localhost
  public final static String
       FILE_TO_RECEIVED = "c:/temp/source-downloaded.pdf";  // you may change this, I give a
                                                            // different name because i don't want to
                                                            // overwrite the one used by server...

  public final static int FILE_SIZE = 6022386; // file size temporary hard coded
                                               // should bigger than the file to be downloaded

  public static void main (String [] args ) throws IOException {
    int bytesRead;
    int current = 0;
    FileOutputStream fos = null;
    BufferedOutputStream bos = null;
    Socket sock = null;
    try {
      sock = new Socket(SERVER, SOCKET_PORT);
      System.out.println("Connecting...");

      // receive file
      byte [] mybytearray  = new byte [FILE_SIZE];
      InputStream is = sock.getInputStream();
      fos = new FileOutputStream(FILE_TO_RECEIVED);
      bos = new BufferedOutputStream(fos);
      bytesRead = is.read(mybytearray,0,mybytearray.length);
      current = bytesRead;

      do {
         bytesRead =
            is.read(mybytearray, current, (mybytearray.length-current));
         if(bytesRead >= 0) current += bytesRead;
      } while(bytesRead > -1);

      bos.write(mybytearray, 0 , current);
      bos.flush();
      System.out.println("File " + FILE_TO_RECEIVED
          + " downloaded (" + current + " bytes read)");
    }
    finally {
      if (fos != null) fos.close();
      if (bos != null) bos.close();
      if (sock != null) sock.close();
    }
  }

}

To try it, first you start the server. You make sure that the file to be sent (as specified in SimpleFileServer) exists! Then you execute the client module.


To download a file, a simpler and better way is to use the built-in JDK HTTP server, see this HowTo