Comparing PrintStream and PrintWriter in Java

PrintStream and PrintWriter in Java

Java provides various classes to output data to different destinations, including the console, files, network connections, and even memory. Two of the more commonly used classes are PrintStream and PrintWriter. In order to understand when to use each one, let's take a look at how they differ from one another.

PrintStream

The PrintStream class is an output stream that can be used to write primitive data values as well as Strings and objects. It has methods such as println(), printf(), flush(), and close() that can be used to output data to the destination. It is able to write binary data, which makes it more efficient than the PrintWriter class. Its data can be written to various destinations, including the console, file, network connection, and more.

PrintWriter

The PrintWriter class is an output stream used to write characters to various destinations, such as the console, file, network connection, and more. It has methods such as println(), printf(), flush(), and close() that can be used to output data to the destination. Unlike the PrintStream class, the PrintWriter class is only able to write character-based data, which makes it less efficient than the PrintStream class. However, it does allow for better formatting of the data.

When to Use Each Class?

The PrintStream class is better suited for writing primitive data values, such as numbers and boolean values, to standard output streams. It is also more efficient than the PrintWriter class since it can write binary data. On the other hand, the PrintWriter class is better suited for writing character-based data, such as Strings, to standard output streams. It allows for better formatting of the data, so it is often used in applications that require precise formatting.