How to use a config file?

Question

People,
i have a basic question. How to extract the contents from a ".config" file?
I have a config file with few sections and few global variables defined.
how to extract these data; or how to use this file?
a sample .config file, that i have is,
# global variables
pageTitle = "Main Menu"
bodyBgColor = #000000
tableBgColor = #000000
rowBgColor = #00ff00
[Customer]
pageTitle = "Customer Info"
[Login]
pageTitle = "Login"
focus = "username"
Intro = """This is a value that spans more
than one line. you must enclose
               it in triple quotes."""
# hidden section
[.Database]
host=my.domain.com
db=ADDRESSBOOK
user=php-user
pass=foobar
How would i extract these data; or how to utilize this file first of all?
- Kumar
[ [email protected] ]

Answer 1

Hi Kumar,
Instead of .config file you can use .properties file. Place the configuration part in that file. Use ResourceBundle class. This class have methods like getResourceString(String key) which reads the .properties file and returns a String as it's Value. I normally use the same. I have written one class for it. C if you can use it. The keys are case sensitive. initialize is a directory in which i am keeping my Config.properties file.
import java.util.*;
import java.text.*;
import java.net.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class ReadConfig
public static ResourceBundle resources;
* This is responsible for getting data from Config.properties for setting properties externally.
static
try
resources = ResourceBundle.getBundle("initialize.Config", Locale.getDefault());
catch (MissingResourceException mre)
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(new JFrame(), "initialize/Config.properties not found.\n Please report it to administrator.");
System.err.println("initialize/Config.properties not found");
System.exit(1);
}//static
public ReadConfig()
System.out.println(getResourceString("DatabaseName"));
System.out.println(getResourceString("JDBCDriver"));
System.out.println(getResourceString("DSN"));
System.out.println(getResourceString("ConnectionString"));
}//constructor
public String[] tokenize(String input)
Vector v = new Vector();
StringTokenizer t = new StringTokenizer(input);
String cmd[];
while (t.hasMoreTokens())
v.addElement(t.nextToken());
cmd = new String[v.size()];
for (int i = 0; i < cmd.length; i++)
cmd[i] = (String) v.elementAt(i);
return cmd;
* A method takes string as parameter and reference of ResourceBundle.
* It is used with <b>Resources Bundle</b> i.e. with .properties file.
* When value of particular string from .properties file has to retrive.
public String getResourceString(String nm, ResourceBundle resources)
String str;
try
str = resources.getString(nm);
catch (MissingResourceException mre)
str = null;
return str;
* A method takes string as parameter. It is used with <b>Resources Bundle
* </b> i.e. with .properties file. When value of particular string from .properties
* file has to retrive.
public static String getResourceString(String nm)
String str;
try
str = resources.getString(nm.trim());
catch (MissingResourceException mre)
str = null;
return str;
}//getResourceString(String nm)
* This method takes string as parameter and returns corresponding <b>URL</b>.
* If key is <b>null</b>, then will return <b>null</b>.
public URL getResource(String key)
String name = getResourceString(key);
if (name != null)
URL url = this.getClass().getResource(name);
return url;
     return null;
}//getResource(String key)
public static void main(String[] args)
new ReadConfig();
}//main
}//class
Hope this will be helpful to you.
Kind Regards
Sandeep