Best way to manage images in a swing app

Question

Hi.
I have a swing app that uses alot of images around 100+ at around 40kb each.
I am currently using new ImageIcon("icon\\main.png")) to create them.
Is this the most efficient way to manage images?
Would it be more efficeint to store then in the mysql database?
and / or use SwingWorker (http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/javax/swing/SwingWorker.html)
Cheers
Bobby

Answer 1

Hi Bobby,
It depends on what you want to be more efficient:
1) CPU cycles
2) Reducing jar size
3) Ease of maintenance
4) Prevent typing errors in file names
For me, number 3 and 4 are important. So, what I generally do, is create an enum that desribes the images that are contained in the same package as the enum. Now I'm able to change the package name with no consequence. I only have to type the filename once and know when I have to double check of what I type. Something like this:
package org.pbjar.geom.images;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
public enum Images {
    AUTHOR_SMALL("TheAuthor.jpg"),
    AUTHOR_LARGE("PietKopLarge.jpg"),
    private final String filename;
    Images(String filename) {
     this.filename = filename;
    public ImageIcon getIcon() {
     return new ImageIcon(getImage());
    public BufferedImage getImage(){
     try {
         return ImageIO.read(getURL());
     } catch (IOException e) {
         throw new RuntimeException(e);
    public URL getURL() {
     return this.getClass().getResource(filename);
}Piet