Accessing a flat data file from within a session bean

Question

Hi
I want to access a csv file (output from an excel file) to populate my database at the start of an application. I nonchalently tried to create a BufferedReader/FileReader to open the file, and dropped it in with my classes in the deploytool. What a surprise, it doesn't work.
What approach should I be using? I can't seem to find anything about it, which might suggest it's just plain not allowed, in which case, how do I populate my db?
All help appreciated, I'm going to try to get this working tomorrow.
Cheers
J

Answer 1

Thanks Annie (my, you are prolific), got that (found this: <http://www.developer.com/java/other/article.php/734191>).
So, now I've got a helper class that opens the flat file perfectly well when run alone from the console.
However, when I call the same method in J2EE:
     return new dBPopulatorHelper().populate();
it gets caught by my try/catch
     catch (Exception ex)
          return("Exception caught in dBPopulatorHelper populate(): " + ex.getMessage());
and returns a permission error:
Exception caught in dBPopulatorHelper populate(): access denied (java.io.FilePermission M3B.csv read)
I'm using Linux, but the file M3B has all permissions set.
I've a feeling this is about how I've set it up in the deploytool. I've included the file in the dbPopulator jar .. is that right or wrong? Actually, I get the error whether I do that or not.
Is it a paths thing? I put the file where my class files are in the /build directory. Is there some setting I should click in the deploytool?
All help appreciated
Cheers
J