Read and write a text file to internal storage

When simple name/value pairs are not sufficient, Android also supports regular file operations including working with text and binary data.

The following recipe demonstrates how to read and write a file to internal or private storage.

Getting ready

Create a new project in Android Studio and call it: InternalStorageFile. Use the default Phone & Tablet options and select Empty Activity when prompted for the Activity Type.

How to do it...

To demonstrate both reading and writing text, we'll need a layout with an EditText and two buttons. Start by opening main_activity.xml and follow these steps:

1. Replace the existing <TextView> element with the following views:

   <EditText
       android:id="@+id/editText"
       android:layout_width="wrap_content"
       android:layout_height="wrap_content"
       android:inputType="textMultiLine"
       android:ems="10"
       android:layout_above="@+id/buttonRead"
       android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
       android:layout_centerHorizontal...