Consider the code:
File file = new File(\"c:\\\\temp\\\\java\\\\testfile\");
testfile is a file, and it may or may not exist.
File API File.getParent or File.getParentFile should return you Directory of file.
Your code should be like :
File file = new File("c:\\temp\\java\\testfile");
if(!file.exists()){
file = file.getParentFile();
}
You can additionally check your parent file is directory using File.isDirectory API
if(file.isDirectory()){
System.out.println("file is directory ");
}