#

| Chapter 11 The java.io Package |

# LineNumberReader

## Name

LineNumberReader

## Synopsis

Class Name:

  `java.io.LineNumberReader`

Superclass:

  `java.io.BufferedReader`

Immediate Subclasses:

  None

Interfaces Implemented:

  None

Availability:

  New as of JDK 1.1

## Description

The `LineNumberReader` class is a `BufferedReader` that keeps track of line numbers. The line number starts at 0 and is incremented each time an end-of-line character is encountered. `LineNumberReader` recognizes `"\n"`, `"\r"`, or `"\r\n"` as the end of a line. Regardless of the end-of-line character it reads, `ReaderInputStream` returns only `"\n"`. The current line number is returned by `getLineNumber()`.

The `LineNumberReader` class is the JDK 1.1 replacement for `LineNumberInputStream`. Not only does it correctly handle byte to character conversions (via `Reader`), it implements `read(byte[],` `int,` `int)` and `skip()` more efficiently than its predecessor.

## Class Summary

    public class java.io.LineNumberReader extends java.io.BufferedReader {
      // Constructors
      public LineNumberReader(Reader in);
      public LineNumberReader(Reader in, int sz);
      // Instance Methods
      public int getLineNumber();
      public void mark(int readAheadLimit);
      public int read();
      public int read(char[] cbuf, int off, int len);
      public String readLine();
      public void reset();
      public void setLineNumber(int lineNumber);
      public long skip(long n);
    }

## Constructors

### LineNumberReader

#### public LineNumberReader(Reader in)

Parameters

  `in`

    The reader to use.

Description

  This constructor creates a `LineNumberReader` that gets its data from `in` and uses a default sized buffer. The default buffer size for `BufferedReader` is 8192 characters.

#### public LineNumberReader(Reader in, int sz)

Parameters

  `in`

    The reader to use.

  `sz`

    The buffer size.

Description

  This constructor creates a `LineNumberReader` that gets its data from `in` and uses a buffer of the given size.

## Instance Methods

### getLineNumber

#### public int getLineNumber()

Returns

  The current line number.

Description

  This method returns the current line number.

### mark

#### public void mark(int readAheadLimit) throws IOException

Parameters

  `readAheadLimit`

    The maximum number of characters that can be read before the saved position becomes invalid.

Throws

  `IOException`

    If any kind of I/O error occurs.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.mark()`

Description

  This method causes the `LineNumberReader` to remember its current position. A subsequent call to `reset()` causes the object to return to that saved position and thus reread a portion of the input.

### read

#### public int read() throws IOException

Returns

  The next character of data or `-1` if the end of the stream is encountered.

Throws

  `IOException`

    If any kind of I/O error occurs.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.read()`

Description

  This method reads a character of input from the underlying reader. If `"\n"`, `"\r"`, or `"\r\n"` is read from the stream, `"\n"` is returned. Otherwise the character read from the underlying `BufferedReader` is returned verbatim. The method blocks until it reads the character, the end of stream is encountered, or an exception is thrown.

#### public int read(char[] cbuf, int off, int len) throws IOException

Parameters

  `cbuf`

    An array of characters to be filled from the stream.

  `off`

    An offset into the array.

  `len`

    The number of characters to read.

Returns

  The actual number of characters read or `-1` if the end of the stream is encountered immediately.

Throws

  `IOException`

    If any kind of I/O error occurs.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.read(char[], int, int)`

Description

  This method reads up to `len` characters of input into the given array starting at index `off`. This method, unlike `read()`, returns end-of-line characters exactly as they come from the underlying `BufferedReader`. The method blocks until data is available.

### readLine

#### public String readLine() throws IOException

Returns

  A `String` containing the line just read, or `null` if the end of the stream has been reached.

Throws

  `IOException`

    If any kind of I/O error occurs.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.readLine()`

Description

  This method reads a line of text. Lines are terminated by `"\n"`, `"\r"`, or `"\r\n"`. The line terminators are not returned with the line string.

### reset

#### public void reset() throws IOException

Throws

  `IOException`

    If the reader is closed, `mark()` has not been called, or the saved position has been invalidated.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.reset()`

Description

  This method sets the position of the reader to a position that was saved by a previous call to `mark()`. Subsequent characters read from this reader will begin from the saved position and continue normally. The method also restores the line number to its correct value for the mark location.

### setLineNumber

#### public void setLineNumber(int lineNumber)

Parameters

  `lineNumber`

    The new line number.

Description

  This method sets the current line number of the `LineNumberReader`. The method does not change the position of the reader.

### skip

#### public long skip(long n) throws IOException

Parameters

  `n`

    The number of characters to skip.

Returns

  The actual number of bytes skipped.

Throws

  `IOException`

    If any kind of I/O error occurs.

Overrides

  `BufferedReader.skip()`

Description

  This method skips `n` characters of input.

## Inherited Methods

Method | Inherited From | Method | Inherited From
--- | --- | --- | ---
`clone()` | `Object` | `close()` | `BufferedReader`
`equals(Object)` | `Object` | `finalize()` | `Object`
`getClass()` | `Object` | `hashCode()` | `Object`
`notify()` | `Object` | `notifyAll()` | `Object`
`markSupported()` | `BufferedReader` | `read(char[])` | `Reader`
`ready()` | `BufferedReader` | `toString()` | `Object`
`wait()` | `Object` | `wait(long)` | `Object`
`wait(long, int)` | `Object` |  |

## See Also

`BufferedReader`, `Reader`, `IOException`, `LineNumberInputStream`

LineNumberInputStream |  | NotActiveException