Concepts to Know : Input/Output : File Access
 
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File Access
DataFlow defines an abstract model for file access. This provides a uniform interface for working with data residing anywhere: on local or distributed file systems, even in cloud storage. Operators can then process data from anywhere without being concerned about the details of access.
The file access model encompasses three main concepts:
A file system is a collection of resources that contain data and can be read or written.
A path identifies a resource within a file system.
A file client provides access to the resource identified by a path.
This model is similar in some ways to the java.nio.file package introduced in Java 7, but it uses a client object instead of static methods to provide file access.