exists and notExists

[Elliotte Harold]

Alan Bateman wrote:

> An existence check yields one of three answers: the file exists, the 
> file does not exist, or it can't say (due a permission problem for 
> example). The exists and notExists are convenience methods for cases 
> where you want to take action when a file is confirmed to exist (at that 
> point in time), or confirmed to not exist.
> 

As I read the JavaDoc, the only reason the exists() method won't be able 
to say is if it throws a SecurityException. Correct? (If not, the 
JavaDoc needs to be clarified.)

I don't feel like notExists is convenient enough to justify its 
existence. Presumably if one cannot tell if a file exists, one cannot 
tell if it doesn't exist either. Both are SecurityExceptions. Can you 
imagine the bloat if every isXXX() method in Java was matched by a 
isNotXXX() method? Let's not start down this path. A single exists() 
method is fully sufficient.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo at metalab.unc.edu
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