Using absolute path bundle file

[Hesham Gneady]

Hello ,

Normally when i want to use a bundle file found in my classpath, i use this :

ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("languages.english");

But i prefer to put the "languages" folder outside the jar, so is it possible to use a bundle file which is outside the classpath of my application ?, something like that :

ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("c:\languages\english");

Thanks . . .

[Rob Spoor]

I think you can use the getBundle method that takes a ClassLoader, and provide a URLClassLoader:

File file = new File("C:\\languages");
URL[] urls = {file.toURI().toURL()};
ClassLoader loader = new URLClassLoader(urls);
ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("english", Locale.getDefault(), loader);

[Hesham Gneady]

Yes, you're right Rob. This will help me to load other resources.
I tried it and it worked fine.

Thanks Rob

[Steffen Gallus]

Hi,

the solution from Rob works, while i am in the EclipseIDE. But when i export it to jar and run this via JavaWebStart, it will not work.

File file = new File("C:\\tmp");
URL[] urls = {file.toURI().toURL()};
Locale locale = new Locale("en", "GB", "var1");
ResourceBundle rb = ResourceBundle.getBundle("myResource", locale, loader);

In my JAR i have a messageFile named "messages_en.properties" (the default property file) with 3 key/value-pairs
I put into the "c:\temp" a messagefile named "messages_en_var1.properties" with only one key/value-pair, which shall override the existing key/value from the default properties

While i testing it in Eclipse IDE, the new Loader will find the extern message File, gets the one key which should be changed and takes for the other keys the default propteries.
But when i try it via JavaWebStart, it will not work. What happens is, that the application ONLY finds the resource file from the tmp-directory. The default properties will not be sourced.

Has anyone an idea?

Thanks

[Campbell Ritchie]

Are you really using C:\tmp as the name of your file? When you use web start you are probably using absolute paths, so you will not find the file. Is there a copy of that file in your .jar file? What is its PATH and location?

[Paul Clapham]

More to the point, when you run the application via Web Start it's going to be run on somebody else's computer. They don't have access to your C: drive. So if you plan to run your application that way, you should put the ResourceBundle in the jar file and access it in the usual way, as a resource.

[Steffen Gallus]

I am sorry for my explaination, i tried to keep it simple with the given example...

What i have:

A project with the following structure

com.myexample.test

com
- myexample
- test
- Messages.java (this class contains the BundleName like "com.myexample.test.messages" and is automatic generated by eclipse and externalize Strings)
- messages.properties
- messages_cz.properties
- messages_en.properties

That means, the messages.properties will be the default. When i have a Locale with en (Locale.English), then he will pick the "messages_en.properties" and when there is missing one key, they will be fallback to default "messages.properties" (for only this key/value)
The message*.properties are in the jar-File and will be distributed. So everyone with access can get it

All works very fine .


Now, i want the ability to change/add some Strings without touching the jar-files (i cant touch them after distribution cause of signing the jar-files .....)
Therefore, i tried to put "messages_de.properties" in a web-path ( http://somedomain.com/jws-stuff/com/myexample/test/ )

When i start it with eclipse, he tries to find the messages_de.properties. I give the URLClassloader the "start-folder" (http://somedomain.com/jws-stuff/) and he will find, in dependency to the BundleName, the following package-structure. Therefore i need to create folders like "http://somedomain.com/jws-stuff/com/myexample/test/"

He use the given key/value pairs specified in the "de.properties" and will fallback to the "messages.properties" in the project, when a key will not be founde.
It works very fine !



But when i export it with the new ClassLoader to a jar-file and start it with JNLP , they will only find the messages_de.properties on the server and DONT fall back to "messages.properties" :/



Here is the code from Messages.java

package com.myexample.test;
import java.io.File;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLClassLoader;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.MissingResourceException;
import java.util.ResourceBundle;
public class Messages {
private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "com.myexample.test.messages"; //$NON-NLS-1$
private static ClassLoader loader;
private static ResourceBundle RESOURCE_BUNDLE;
static {
try{
URL[] urls = new URL[1];
// - startfolder on the server, where he can find the package-structure like this.BUNDLE_NAME (http://somedomain.com/jws-stuff/com/myexample/test/)
urls[0] = new URL("http://somedomain.com/jws-stuff/");
ClassLoader loader = new URLClassLoader(urls);
RESOURCE_BUNDLE = ResourceBundle.getBundle(BUNDLE_NAME, Locale.GERMAN, loader);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
private Messages() {
}
public static String getString(String key) {
try {
return RESOURCE_BUNDLE.getString(key);
} catch (MissingResourceException e) {
return '!' + key + '!';
}
}
}

[Stephan van Hulst]

You should put your resources in a separate jar, and then put it on the classpath along with your main jar. You can then simply replace your language jar without touching the main application.