location of a property file

[Annette L'Heureux]

Hi!
I just can't seem to get this darn thing working!
I have a .properties file that I created, and I wasn't sure where to put it so I put it in the folder where I keep my regular html files. I did this because I need to be able to call it, and I figured I could just do this:
"http://keoki.ncr.pwgsc.gc.ca:8080/myfile.properties"
With my regular html files, anything after the "/" is looked for in this particular folder. Right?
Is this what's supposed to be done? Why can't anything be read off the file?
Thanks again,
Annette

[Thomas Paul]

Are you talking about the db.properties file in the program sample that I gave you? If so, that can go in any directory but you must pass in that directory when you invoke the connectToDatabase() method.

[Nick Heudecker]

Not too sure what the problem is, but this is a method I use often to load a properties file from the filesystem:

public static File getFileFromClasspath(String filename) {
try {
String rawCP = System.getProperty("java.class.path");
StringTokenizer toke = new StringTokenizer(rawCP, ":");
while (toke.hasMoreTokens()) {
String currDir = toke.nextToken();
File f = new File(currDir + File.separator + filename);
if (f.exists())
return f;
}
}
catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}

It can obviously be improved, but as long as the directory that contains the properties file is a directory listed in your classpath, you application will be able to find it.

[Bhupinder Dhillon]

This one ticked me off for a long time until I finally read it in
java spec., I think! If you just want to get a list of properties
in the file and use it somewhere in your java program then why don't you use java.util.ResourceBundle? It's much more convenient and easy to use.
If test.properties is a top class (not in a package):
ResourceBundle rb = ResourceBundle.getBundle("test.properties>);
If test.properties is in the same package as the class accessing it:
ResourceBundle rb = ResourceBundle.getBundle("test.properties>);
If test.properties is in a package named com.mypackage and you are accessing it from some other package:
ResourceBundle rb = ResourceBundle.getBundle("com/mypackage/test.properties>);
To get a property:
String propValue = rb.getString("propertyName");
Much more easier, ain't it?

[Peter den Haan]

Originally posted by Nick Heudecker:
Not too sure what the problem is, but this is a method I use often to load a properties file from the filesystem:

If this properties file is part of a J2EE web-app then Servlet.getServletConfig().getServletContext().getResource*() is more appropriate, I think.
- Peter