PushbackReader skip(long) method in Java with Examples

The skip(long) method of PushbackReader Class in Java is used to skip the specified number of characters on the stream. This number of characters is specified as the parameter. If it reaches the end of the stream by skipping, it will block the stream until it gets some characters, or throw IOException.

Syntax:

public long skip(long numberOfChar)

Parameters: This method accepts a parameter numberOfChar which is the number of characters to be skipped by this method.

Return Value: This method returns a long value which is the actual number of character skipped by this method.

Exception: This method throws:

• IOException: if some error occurs while input output
• IllegalArgumentException: if the numberOfChar passed is negative.

Below methods illustrates the working of skip(long) method:

Program 1:

// Java program to demonstrate
// PushbackReader skip(long) method

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        try {
            // Initializing a StringReader
            // and PushbackReader
            String s = "GeeksForGeeks";

            StringReader stringReader
                = new StringReader(s);
            PushbackReader pushbackReader
                = new PushbackReader(stringReader);

            // Get the character
            // to be read from the stream
            int ch;

            // Read the first 5 characters
            // to this reader using read() method
            // This will put the str in the stream
            // till it is read by the reader
            for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
                ch = pushbackReader.read();
                System.out.print((char)ch);
            }

            System.out.println();

            // skip 3 characters using skip(long)
            pushbackReader.skip(3);

            System.out.println("Next 3 characters skipped.");

            // Read the 2 characters
            // to this reader using read() method
            for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
                ch = pushbackReader.read();
                System.out.print((char)ch);
            }

            System.out.println();

            // Close the stream
            pushbackReader.close();
            System.out.println("Stream Closed.");
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
    }
}

Output:

Geeks
Next 3 characters skipped.
Ge
Stream Closed.

Program 2:

// Java program to demonstrate
// PushbackReader skip(long) method

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        try {
            // Initializing a StringReader
            // and PushbackReader
            String s = "GFG";

            StringReader stringReader
                = new StringReader(s);
            PushbackReader pushbackReader
                = new PushbackReader(stringReader);

            // Get the character
            // to be read from the stream
            int ch;

            // Read the first character
            // to this reader using read() method
            // This will put the str in the stream
            // till it is read by the reader
            ch = pushbackReader.read();
            System.out.print((char)ch);

            System.out.println();

            // skip 1 characters using skip(long)
            pushbackReader.skip(1);

            System.out.println("Next 1 characters skipped.");

            // Read the next 1 character
            // to this reader using read() method
            for (int i = 0; i < 1; i++) {
                ch = pushbackReader.read();
                System.out.print((char)ch);
            }

            System.out.println();

            // Close the stream
            pushbackReader.close();
            System.out.println("Stream Closed.");
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
    }
}

Output:

G
Next 1 characters skipped.
G
Stream Closed.

Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/docs/api/java/io/PushbackReader.html#skip-long-