What is the best strategy for loading property and configuration files in Java?

[junhongsh]

When you think about how to load an external resource in Java, several options immediately come to mind: files, classpath resources, and URLs. Although all of them eventually get the job done, experience shows that classpath resources and URLs are by far the most flexible and user-friendly options.

In general, a configuration file can have an arbitrarily complex structure (e.g., an XML schema definition file). But for simplicity, I assume below that we're dealing with a flat list of name-value pairs (the familiar .properties format). There's no reason, however, why you can't apply the ideas shown below in other situations, as long as the resource in question is constructed from an InputStream.

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http://www.java101.net/thread/viewthread.xhtml?id=180

[junhongsh]

you may want to take a look at this one too.

http://www.java101.net/thread/viewthread.xhtml?id=174r

[junhongsh]

Sorry the link is wrong, Here is the correct one.

http://www.java101.net/thread/viewthread.xhtml?id=174