Appending text to a file is a common operation in Java, especially when dealing with log files, data storage, or maintaining records. Instead of overwriting an existing file, appending allows us to add new content while preserving the old data. This article will explore different ways to append text to a file in java append text to file.

1. Using FileWriter

Example:
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

public class AppendToFileExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String filePath = "example.txt";
String textToAppend = "This is the appended text.\";

try (FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(filePath, true)) {
fw.write(textToAppend);
System.out.println("Text appended successfully.");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
In this example, passing true as the second argument to FileWriter enables append mode.

2. Using BufferedWriter

BufferedWriter provides efficient writing operations by buffering characters, reducing the number of I/O operations.

Example:
import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

public class BufferedAppendExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String filePath = "example.txt";
String textToAppend = "Appending more content efficiently.\";

try (BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(filePath, true))) {
bw.write(textToAppend);
System.out.println("Text appended successfully using BufferedWriter.");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
3. Using PrintWriter

PrintWriter is another way to append text, especially when dealing with formatted output.

Example:
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.PrintWriter;

public class PrintWriterAppendExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String filePath = "example.txt";
String textToAppend = "Appending using PrintWriter.\";

try (PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter(filePath, true))) {
pw.println(textToAppend);
System.out.println("Text appended successfully using PrintWriter.");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Best Practices for Appending to a File

Always close the file after writing (use try-with-resources for automatic closure).

Use BufferedWriter for efficient writing when dealing with large files.

Handle exceptions properly to prevent data loss.

Prefer Files.write() for modern applications, as it integrates well with NIO features.