This is more of a strategic/structural question than an request for code.

1. deleting a record from file is very expensive. most database just put a mark on the record when the record is delete and the space is reused when new record is inserted.

2. you are actaully inventing a tiny database. when it come to concurrency issue, you got a whole world of code to do.

3. if concurrency is not a concern, I don't see problem of recreate the file as long as you don't have much records to handle. but I don't see that you have too much records because you was saying to display them on a page.

4. the record handling form don't have to be that complicated to use javascript. I'll give you an example.

jsp grid:
=============

<%
/**************************************************/
String action=request.getParameter("action");
String[] itemname = request.getParameterValues("itemname");
String[] qty =  request.getParameterValues("qty");
String[] unit = request.getParameterValues("unit");
String[] unitprice = request.getParameterValues("unitprice");
String[] offerprice = request.getParameterValues("offerprice");
String[] chkbox = request.getParameterValues("chkbox");

boolean doDelete = "Delete Selected Item".equals( action );
boolean[] isChecked = null;

if( itemname != null ) isChecked = new boolean[ itemname.length ];
if( doDelete && chkbox != null ) {
   for( int jj = 0; jj<chkbox.length; jj ++ ) {
        int index = Integer.parseInt( chkbox[jj] );
        // out.println( "got " + index );
        isChecked[index] = true;
   }
}

if (action==null) action="";

/*****************************************************/
%>
<center>

<form method="post" name=formnewquote>

<% //if (action.equals("Submit")){ %>
<%  //@include file = "process_nq1.jsp"%>
<% //} %>

<h3>Item List</h3>

<!-- Start List of Item(s) -->
 <table>
   <tr>
     <th><div align="center"></div></td>
     <th>Item Name</td>
     <th>Qty</td>
     <th>Unit</td>
     <th>Unit Price</td>
     <th>Offer Price</td>
   </tr>
   <%
int ii = 0;
if (itemname!=null) {
   for (int k=0;k<isChecked.length;k++) {
      if ( ! ( doDelete && isChecked[k] ) ) {
        %>
   <tr>
     <td> <div align="center">
         <input type="checkbox" name="chkbox" value="<%=ii%>">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="itemname" type=text value="<%=itemname[k]%>" size="17">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="qty" type=text value="<%=qty[k]%>" size="5">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
       <select name="unit" >
           <option value="kg" <% if ("unit[k]".equals("kg")) out.println("selected");%>>Kg</option>
           <option value="ctn" <% if ("unit[k]".equals("kg")) out.println("selected");%>>Cartons</option>
           <option value="pkt" <% if ("unit[k]".equals("kg")) out.println("selected");%>>Packet</option>
           <option value="tons" <% if ("unit[k]".equals("kg")) out.println("selected");%>>Tons</option>
         </select>
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="unitprice" type=text value="<%=unitprice[k]%>" size="8">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="offerprice" type=text value="<%=offerprice[k]%>" size="8">
       </div></td>
   </tr>
   <%
          ii ++;
      }
   } //for
} //if

if( "Add".equals( action )  || itemname == null ) {
%>
   <tr>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input type="checkbox" name="chkbox" value="<%=ii%>">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="itemname" type="text" size="17">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="qty" type="text" size="5">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
       <select name="unit">
           <option value="kg">Kg</option>
           <option value="ctn">Cartons</option>
           <option value="pkt">Packet</option>
           <option value="tons">Tons</option>
         </select>
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="unitprice" type="text" size="8">
       </div></td>
     <td><div align="center">
         <input name="offerprice" type="text" size="8">
       </div></td>
   </tr>
   <% } %>
   <td colspan="6">
       <a href="javascript:checkall('formnewquote','chkbox',true)">All</a>/<a
       href="javascript:checkall('formnewquote','chkbox',false)">None</a>
   <input type=submit value="Delete Selected Item" name="action"></td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
     <td colspan="6"><input type=submit value="Add" name="action" ></td>
   </tr>
 </table>
</form>
</center>

Thanks so much for your help.
Concurrency is not a huge concern. However, might it be a good idea to create a NEW file on each update.. deleting the old, and rename the new when the process has been sucessfully completed?
-Total records < 200.
-Why should delete be so expensive if I recreate the file? Wouldn't it be the same as update?

Thanks so much for your help.
Concurrency is not a huge concern. However, might it be a good idea to create a NEW file on each update.. deleting the old, and rename the new when the process has been sucessfully completed?
-Total records < 200.
-Why should delete be so expensive if I recreate the file? Wouldn't it be the same as update?

I agree with all you have said.
200 records is quite small, so we should be safe.
I think I have everything I need, but I don't know what a "grid" is...
Only if you have time.
Thanks!

>> I think I have everything I need, but I don't know what a "grid" is...
if you try out the example code I posted earlier, you know what I mean :) I said "grid" because it is like GUI's grid/table control.

Gotcha.
I truly appreciate the help. This will be what I implement.

Very helpful!

my pleasure and happy coding :)