FileNotFoundException when trying to pass txt file as parameter for method in Java

Question

all! I'm having an issue with Scanner/passing a text file as the parameter for a method. If I create a Scanner in main, I can do everything just fine.

import java.io.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class App {
    public static void main(String[] args){
        File file = new File([FILEPATH]);
        Scanner inputFile = new Scanner(file);
...

However, when I try to pass the text file to a method and create a Scanner there, I get a FileNotFoundException

import java.io.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class App {
    public static void main(String[] args){
        File file = new File([FILEPATH]);
        method(file);
    }

    public static String method(File file){

        Scanner inputFile = new Scanner(file); //This is where I get the error :(
...

The prompt for the problem specifically says that the parameter must be a file, so I can't change it to a String parameter to pass the file path instead.

I used .getPath() to make sure the file path for the file within my method matches the file path for the file in main, and it does. I'm not sure what needs to be fixed. Would greatly appreciate any help!

EDIT; Adding screenshots with my full code and output from each version so people can verify my changes.

Main: Working Version Method: Non-working Version

Answer 1

Did you read the error message carefully?

It doesn't say "file not found" - it says: "Unresolved compilation problem: Unhandled exception type FileNotFoundException".

This is because new Scanner(file) is declared to throw a FileNotFoundException and your method() must either handle that exception or declare that it possibly throws a FileNotFoundException (by declaring it as method(File file) throws FileNotFoundException {...}

Note that declaring the method as method(File file) throws FileNotFoundException {...} delegates the obligation to either handle the exception or declare it as thrown exception to the caller of method(). That means that in turn your main() method has to either handle the FileNotFoundException or you need to declare your main() method as

public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException {}

or

public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {}

or

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {}`)

---

Why does the compiler not complain for version that works?

This is because in the version that works you declared the main() method as public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {} - the Java compiler is happy with that: that declaration tells it that any Exception thrown within the body of main() is acceptable.

Answer 2

You are not getting an FileNotFoundException, you just have an unhandled checked exception. You should handle the exception for the code to compile using try-catch block or throws.