How to Initialize an InputStream Before Try/Catch Block

Question

I need to get a file name string, and try to open the file. If the file is not found, I loop until a proper string is entered. ``` public static void main(String[] args){ // Get file string until valid input is entered. System.out.println("Enter file name.
 Enter ';' to exit."); String fileName = sc.nextLine(); boolean fileLoop = true; InputStream inFile; while (fileLoop){ try{ inFile = new FileInputStream(fileName); fileLoop = false; } catch (FileNotFoundException e) { System.out.println("That file was not found.
 Please re enter file name.
 Enter ';' to exit."); fileName = sc.nextLine(); if (fileName.equals(";")){ return; } } } // ****** This is where the error is. It says inFile may not have been initalized. *** exampleMethod(inFile); } public static void exampleMethod(InputStream inFile){ // Do stuff with the file. } ``` When I try to call exampleMethod(inFile) NetBeans tells me that the InputStream inFile may not have been initialized. I assume this is because the assignment i…

Accepted Answer

To fix this, change this line of code:

```
InputStream inFile;
```

to this:

```
InputStream inFile = null;
```

The reason you have to do this is because Java prevents you from using local variables that are uninitialized. Using an uninitialized variable is often an oversight, so Java prevents it from being allowed in this scenario. As @immibis pointed out, this variable will always be initialized, but the compiler isn't smart enough to figure it out in this case.

How to Initialize an InputStream Before Try/Catch Block

Solution

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