Read input stream twice

Question

You can use org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils.copy to copy the contents of the InputStream to a byte array, and then repeatedly read from the byte array using a ByteArrayInputStream. E.g.:

ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils.copy(in, baos);
byte[] bytes = baos.toByteArray();

// either
while (needToReadAgain) {
    ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);
    yourReadMethodHere(bais);
}

// or
ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);
while (needToReadAgain) {
    bais.reset();
    yourReadMethodHere(bais);
}

Depending on where the InputStream is coming from, you might not be able to reset it. You can check if mark() and reset() are supported using markSupported().

If it is, you can call reset() on the InputStream to return to the beginning. If not, you need to read the InputStream from the source again.

if your InputStream support using mark, then you can mark() your inputStream and then reset() it . if your InputStrem doesn't support mark then you can use the class java.io.BufferedInputStream,so you can embed your stream inside a BufferedInputStream like this

    InputStream bufferdInputStream = new BufferedInputStream(yourInputStream);
    bufferdInputStream.mark(some_value);
    //read your bufferdInputStream 
    bufferdInputStream.reset();
    //read it again

You can wrap input stream with PushbackInputStream. PushbackInputStream allows to unread ("write back") bytes which were already read, so you can do like this:

public class StreamTest {
  public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
    byte[] bytes = new byte[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 };

    InputStream originalStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);

    byte[] readBytes = getBytes(originalStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints: 1 2 3

    readBytes = getBytes(originalStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints: 4 5 6

    // now let's wrap it with PushBackInputStream

    originalStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);

    InputStream wrappedStream = new PushbackInputStream(originalStream, 10); // 10 means that maximnum 10 characters can be "written back" to the stream

    readBytes = getBytes(wrappedStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3

    ((PushbackInputStream) wrappedStream).unread(readBytes, 0, readBytes.length);

    readBytes = getBytes(wrappedStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3


  }

  private static byte[] getBytes(InputStream is, int howManyBytes) throws IOException {
    System.out.print("Reading stream: ");

    byte[] buf = new byte[howManyBytes];

    int next = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < howManyBytes; i++) {
      next = is.read();
      if (next > 0) {
        buf[i] = (byte) next;
      }
    }
    return buf;
  }

  private static void printBytes(byte[] buffer) throws IOException {
    System.out.print("Reading stream: ");

    for (int i = 0; i < buffer.length; i++) {
      System.out.print(buffer[i] + " ");
    }
    System.out.println();
  }


}

Please note that PushbackInputStream stores internal buffer of bytes so it really creates a buffer in memory which holds bytes "written back".

Knowing this approach we can go further and combine it with FilterInputStream. FilterInputStream stores original input stream as a delegate. This allows to create new class definition which allows to "unread" original data automatically. The definition of this class is following:

public class TryReadInputStream extends FilterInputStream {
  private final int maxPushbackBufferSize;

  /**
  * Creates a <code>FilterInputStream</code>
  * by assigning the  argument <code>in</code>
  * to the field <code>this.in</code> so as
  * to remember it for later use.
  *
  * @param in the underlying input stream, or <code>null</code> if
  *           this instance is to be created without an underlying stream.
  */
  public TryReadInputStream(InputStream in, int maxPushbackBufferSize) {
    super(new PushbackInputStream(in, maxPushbackBufferSize));
    this.maxPushbackBufferSize = maxPushbackBufferSize;
  }

  /**
   * Reads from input stream the <code>length</code> of bytes to given buffer. The read bytes are still avilable
   * in the stream
   *
   * @param buffer the destination buffer to which read the data
   * @param offset  the start offset in the destination <code>buffer</code>
   * @aram length how many bytes to read from the stream to buff. Length needs to be less than
   *        <code>maxPushbackBufferSize</code> or IOException will be thrown
   *
   * @return number of bytes read
   * @throws java.io.IOException in case length is
   */
  public int tryRead(byte[] buffer, int offset, int length) throws IOException {
    validateMaxLength(length);

    // NOTE: below reading byte by byte instead of "int bytesRead = is.read(firstBytes, 0, maxBytesOfResponseToLog);"
    // because read() guarantees to read a byte

    int bytesRead = 0;

    int nextByte = 0;

    for (int i = 0; (i < length) && (nextByte >= 0); i++) {
      nextByte = read();
      if (nextByte >= 0) {
        buffer[offset + bytesRead++] = (byte) nextByte;
      }
    }

    if (bytesRead > 0) {
      ((PushbackInputStream) in).unread(buffer, offset, bytesRead);
    }

    return bytesRead;

  }

  public byte[] tryRead(int maxBytesToRead) throws IOException {
    validateMaxLength(maxBytesToRead);

    ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(); // as ByteArrayOutputStream to dynamically allocate internal bytes array instead of allocating possibly large buffer (if maxBytesToRead is large)

    // NOTE: below reading byte by byte instead of "int bytesRead = is.read(firstBytes, 0, maxBytesOfResponseToLog);"
    // because read() guarantees to read a byte

    int nextByte = 0;

    for (int i = 0; (i < maxBytesToRead) && (nextByte >= 0); i++) {
      nextByte = read();
      if (nextByte >= 0) {
        baos.write((byte) nextByte);
      }
    }

    byte[] buffer = baos.toByteArray();

    if (buffer.length > 0) {
      ((PushbackInputStream) in).unread(buffer, 0, buffer.length);
    }

    return buffer;

  }

  private void validateMaxLength(int length) throws IOException {
    if (length > maxPushbackBufferSize) {
      throw new IOException(
        "Trying to read more bytes than maxBytesToRead. Max bytes: " + maxPushbackBufferSize + ". Trying to read: " +
        length);
    }
  }

}

This class has two methods. One for reading into existing buffer (defintion is analogous to calling public int read(byte b[], int off, int len) of InputStream class). Second which returns new buffer (this may be more effective if the size of buffer to read is unknown).

Now let's see our class in action:

public class StreamTest2 {
  public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
    byte[] bytes = new byte[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 };

    InputStream originalStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);

    byte[] readBytes = getBytes(originalStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints: 1 2 3

    readBytes = getBytes(originalStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints: 4 5 6

    // now let's use our TryReadInputStream

    originalStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes);

    InputStream wrappedStream = new TryReadInputStream(originalStream, 10);

    readBytes = ((TryReadInputStream) wrappedStream).tryRead(3); // NOTE: no manual call to "unread"(!) because TryReadInputStream handles this internally
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3

    readBytes = ((TryReadInputStream) wrappedStream).tryRead(3); 
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3

    readBytes = ((TryReadInputStream) wrappedStream).tryRead(3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3

    // we can also call normal read which will actually read the bytes without "writing them back"
    readBytes = getBytes(wrappedStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 1 2 3

    readBytes = getBytes(wrappedStream, 3);
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 4 5 6

    readBytes = ((TryReadInputStream) wrappedStream).tryRead(3); // now we can try read next bytes
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 7 8 9

    readBytes = ((TryReadInputStream) wrappedStream).tryRead(3); 
    printBytes(readBytes); // prints 7 8 9


  }



}

For splitting an InputStream in two, while avoiding to load all data in memory, and then process them independently:

1. Create a couple of OutputStream, precisely: PipedOutputStream
2. Connect each PipedOutputStream with a PipedInputStream, these PipedInputStream are the returned InputStream.
3. Connect the sourcing InputStream with just created OutputStream. So, everything read it from the sourcing InputStream, would be written in both OutputStream. There is not need to implement that, because it is done already in TeeInputStream (commons.io).

4. Within a separated thread read the whole sourcing inputStream, and implicitly the input data is transferred to the target inputStreams.

   public static final List<InputStream> splitInputStream(InputStream input) 
       throws IOException 
   { 
       Objects.requireNonNull(input);      
   
       PipedOutputStream pipedOut01 = new PipedOutputStream();
       PipedOutputStream pipedOut02 = new PipedOutputStream();
   
       List<InputStream> inputStreamList = new ArrayList<>();
       inputStreamList.add(new PipedInputStream(pipedOut01));
       inputStreamList.add(new PipedInputStream(pipedOut02));
   
       TeeOutputStream tout = new TeeOutputStream(pipedOut01, pipedOut02);
   
       TeeInputStream tin = new TeeInputStream(input, tout, true);
   
       Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor().submit(tin::readAllBytes);  
   
       return Collections.unmodifiableList(inputStreamList);
   }
   

Be aware to close the inputStreams after being consumed, and close the thread that runs: TeeInputStream.readAllBytes()

In case, you need to split it into multiple InputStream, instead of just two. Replace in the previous fragment of code the class TeeOutputStream for your own implementation, which would encapsulate a List<OutputStream> and override the OutputStream interface:

public final class TeeListOutputStream extends OutputStream {
    private final List<? extends OutputStream> branchList;

    public TeeListOutputStream(final List<? extends OutputStream> branchList) {
        Objects.requireNonNull(branchList);
        this.branchList = branchList;
    }

    @Override
    public synchronized void write(final int b) throws IOException {
        for (OutputStream branch : branchList) {
            branch.write(b);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void flush() throws IOException {
        for (OutputStream branch : branchList) {
            branch.flush();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void close() throws IOException {
        for (OutputStream branch : branchList) {
            branch.close();
        }
    }
}

If you are using an implementation of InputStream, you can check the result of InputStream#markSupported() that tell you whether or not you can use the method mark() / reset().

If you can mark the stream when you read, then call reset() to go back to begin.

If you can't you'll have to open a stream again.

Another solution would be to convert InputStream to byte array, then iterate over the array as many time as you need. You can find several solutions in this post Convert InputStream to byte array in Java using 3rd party libs or not. Caution, if the read content is too big you might experience some memory troubles.

Finally, if your need is to read image, then use :

BufferedImage image = ImageIO.read(new URL("http://www.example.com/images/toto.jpg"));

Using ImageIO#read(java.net.URL) also allows you to use cache.