Differences between FileInputStream FileReader

[O. Ziggy]

I saw these two examples in the following tutorial - http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/io/charstreams.html

FileReader/FileWriter

import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

public class CopyCharacters {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        FileReader inputStream = null;
        FileWriter outputStream = null;

        try {
            inputStream = new FileReader("xanadu.txt");
            outputStream = new FileWriter("characteroutput.txt");

            int c;
            while ((c = inputStream.read()) != -1) {
                outputStream.write(c);
            }
        } finally {
            if (inputStream != null) {
                inputStream.close();
            }
            if (outputStream != null) {
                outputStream.close();
            }
        }
    }
}

FileInputStream/FileOutputStream

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

public class CopyBytes {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        FileInputStream in = null;
        FileOutputStream out = null;
        try {
            in = new FileInputStream("xanadu.txt");
            out = new FileOutputStream("outagain.txt");
            int c;

            while ((c = in.read()) != -1) {
                out.write(c);
            }

        } finally {
            if (in != null) {
                in.close();
            }
            if (out != null) {
                out.close();
            }
        }
    }
}

One of the difference listed in the above is that both CopyBytes and CopyCharacters use an int variable to read to and write from. However, in CopyCharacters, the int variable holds a character value in its last 16 bits; in CopyBytes, the int variable holds a byte value in its last 8 bits. Can someone explain this difference please (i.e why 16bit on one and not the other. )

Thanks

[O. Ziggy]

Is it because java stores characters in 16bit UNICODE or is there any other specific reason?

[Mark Guo]

FileInputStream to read the image data , such as raw byte stream.
Character stream to read, consider using FileReader.

[Stephan van Hulst]

http://www.coderanch.com/t/511292/java/java/Byte-vs-Character-streams

[O. Ziggy]

Perfect thanks!