There are multiple ways of loading and storing data in Java. Information can be stored and manipulated in different kinds of data structures. But data can also be stored in external files and then loaded into Java. In this module, we'll see how Java can communicate with the outside world by opening, reading from, and writing to, external files. This means of communication known as I/O or input/output, is extremely powerful with an overwhelming number of options. Any given I/O is not particularly difficult, but the difficulty lies in finding your way through the maze of possibilities. This module will help guide you through some of the different ways you can interact with external files. In addition, it will demonstrate methods you can use to handle errors and exceptions that may arise in your Java programs. In particular, when you're dealing with files.