Workaround java.io.EOFException cause by ObjectInputStream

Question

For my application I want to use a Map to act as a database. To save and load a map, I am writing/reading it to/from database.ser using this 2 methods:

private synchronized void saveDB() {
    try {
        fileOut = new FileOutputStream(db);
        out = new ObjectOutputStream(fileOut);
        out.writeObject(accounts);
        fileOut.close();
        out.close();
    } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

}

@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
private void loadDB() {
    try {
        fileIn = new FileInputStream(db);
        in = new ObjectInputStream(fileIn); // that is where error is produced if fileIn is empty
        accounts = (Map<String, Client>) in.readObject();
        in.close();
        fileIn.close();
    } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}

I want to load into Map when application starts, so I invoke method in constructor like this:

protected DriveatorImpl() {
    accounts = new ConcurrentHashMap<String, Client>();
    db = new File("C:/Users/eduar/git/Multy-Threaded-Bank-System/Bank-Services/database.ser"); 
// also, any suggestions how can I make path to a file more flexible in case I want to run Server side of an app on different machine?
     if (!db.exists()) {
        try {
            db.createNewFile();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
     }
    loadDB(); // loads database when server start 
}

I am aware of what causing an error, but I don't know what should I change in my design to avoid ObjectInputStream constructor receiving empty stream! Any suggestions on what I can do differently?

Edit: I want to note that in fresh application run database.ser is empty since there was no entries made into Map yet.

Thank You!

Answer 1

First why the EOFExcpetion occur?

1. There are no contents in file or file is empty and you tried to read file.

   • You can avoid the EOFException for an empty file by checking file content length if it is less than or equal to zero means file is empty. another way to check if file is empty

Some code change and it worked for me.

@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
private void loadDB() {
    try {
        if (db.length() <= 0) {
            // if statement evaluates to true even if file doesn't exists
            saveDB(); // save to a file an empty map
                      // if file doesn't exist, it creates a new one 
                      // call loadDB inside constructor

        }
        FileInputStream fileIn = new FileInputStream(db);
        ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(fileIn); // that is where error is produced if fileIn is empty
        in.readObject();
        in.close();
        fileIn.close();
        System.out.println(accounts);
    } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}