What is memory-mapped files in Java?

Memory-mapped files in Java allow applications to read and write files as if they were part of memory. This technique can be useful for handling large files because it provides a way to perform file I/O without the overhead of traditional file reading and writing methods. By mapping a file into memory, Java applications can access file data directly in the same way they access data in memory, resulting in improved performance and simplified code.

Example of Memory-Mapped Files in Java

import java.io.RandomAccessFile; import java.nio.MappedByteBuffer; import java.nio.channels.FileChannel; import java.nio.file.StandardOpenOption; public class MemoryMappedFileExample { public static void main(String[] args) { try { // Open a file channel RandomAccessFile memoryMappedFile = new RandomAccessFile("example.txt", "rw"); FileChannel fileChannel = memoryMappedFile.getChannel(); // Map the file into memory MappedByteBuffer buffer = fileChannel.map(FileChannel.MapMode.READ_WRITE, 0, memoryMappedFile.length()); // Read and write data in the mapped file while (buffer.hasRemaining()) { byte b = buffer.get(); System.out.print((char) b); } // Write something to the file buffer.put("Hello, Memory-Mapped File!".getBytes()); // Clean up memoryMappedFile.close(); } catch (Exception e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } }

memory-mapped files Java file I/O performance MappedByteBuffer file handling