CountUpdater.java

import java.util.Scanner;   // for user input
import java.io.*;       // for File handling

public class CountUpdater {

    /**
    *   Program:    CountUpdater.java
    *   Purpose:    First run: save data.
    *           Subsequent runs: recall data from disk; update; save new data.
    *   Creator:    Chris Clarke
    *   Created:    14.12.2013
    */

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        // where to save your text file
        String filename = "file.txt";
        File f = new File(filename);
        String strTimesMade="";
        int count = 0;
        if ( !f.exists()) {
            saveText( filename, "1");       // create new text file
        } else {
            strTimesMade = getText( filename);      // recall text
            count = Integer.parseInt( strTimesMade);    // convert to int
        } // end if

        System.out.println("count = "+ ++count);

        strTimesMade = "" +count;           // convert to String
        saveText( filename, strTimesMade);      // save new text
    } // end main()

   public static void saveText(String filename, String text) {
        Writer writer = null;

        try {
            File file = new File(filename);
            writer = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(file));
            writer.write(text);
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            try {
                if (writer != null) {
                    writer.close();
                }
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

    } // end saveText()

    public static String getText(String filename) {
        File file = new File(filename);
        StringBuffer contents = new StringBuffer();
        BufferedReader reader = null;

        try {
            reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(file));
            String text = null;

            // repeat until all lines are read
            while ((text = reader.readLine()) != null) {
                contents.append(text);
            }
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            try {
                if (reader != null) {
                    reader.close();
                }
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

        // show file contents here
        //System.out.println(contents.toString());

    return contents.toString();

    } // end recallText()

} // end CountUpdater