source: src/main/java/genius/core/SerializeHandling.java

package genius.core;

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
import java.io.Serializable;

/**
 * This is a utility class to handle writing and 
 * reading {@link Serializable} objects into/from a file.
 * @author Samanta H.
 *
 */
public class SerializeHandling{

        /**
         * Writes the data into disc, in a new file under the path given.
         * @param data the object to be saved into a new file.
         * @param path the final path (including the name of the file which will
         *                         be created).
         * @return true if writing the object into the path was successful.
         *                 false otherwise.
         */
        public static boolean writeToDisc(Serializable data, String path){
                try{

                        FileOutputStream fout = new FileOutputStream(path);
                        ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fout);   
                        oos.writeObject(data);
                        oos.close();
//                      System.out.println("Done writing.");

                }catch(Exception ex){
                        ex.printStackTrace();
                        return false;
                }
                return true;
        }

        /**
         * Reads an Object from the "path" in the disc.
         * @param path the path where the object is saved in the disc.
         * @return the object saved in path.
         */
        public static Serializable readFromDisc(String path) {
                Serializable data;
                try{

                        FileInputStream fin = new FileInputStream(path);
                        ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(fin);
                        data = (Serializable) ois.readObject();
                        ois.close();
//                      System.out.println("Done reading.");
                        return data;

                }catch(FileNotFoundException e){
                        return null;
                }catch(Exception ex){
                        ex.printStackTrace();
                        return null;
                } 
        }
}