com.antelmann
Class Settings

java.lang.Object
  com.antelmann.Settings

public final class Settings
extends Object

Settings provides access to several properties and resources that are used throughout the classes of this Antelmann.com framework.

The default settings are loaded from a well known location which denotes a file that is commonly distributed along with the antelmann.jar file. The default settings can be overwritten by simply altering the Properties returned by getProperties(), where a subsequent call to that method will reflect the changes (similar to System.getProperties().

If the Settings are used in special environments (such as within an application server), you may need to manually use the setClassLoader(ClassLoader) method to specify a ClassLoader appropriate for the given context, before accessing any resources.

Since:

3/24/2002

Author:

Holger Antelmann

Field Summary

static String	CURRENT_DIRECTORY denotes the property key used to keep track of the current directory that file dialogs should use
static String	DEFAULT_PROPERTY_FILE denotes the relative location of the file for the default Properties, so that it can be found through the ClassLoader

Method Summary

static void	checkLicense(Object licensee) calls checkLicense(licensee, null)
static void	checkLicense(Object licensee, Component c) checks whether there is a valid license installed for accessing the given object - a convenience method normally used by an application to check whether access to an object is licensed.
static Properties	extractOptions(String[] args) based on option key '-'; useful for command line options
static String[]	getAllValuesForProperty(String prefix)
static ClassLoader	getClassLoader() returns the ClassLoader currently used to locate resources
static File	getCurrentDirectory() provides a current working directory that may be altered and may be null
static LicenseHandler	getLicenseHandler() returns the LicenseHandler currently in place to react if a call to checkLicense(Object) fails initially.
static Number	getNumber(String key, Filter<? super Number> filter, Number defaultValue)
static Number	getNumber(String key, Number defaultValue)
static Properties	getOnlineProperties() returns a fresh set of default Properties directly from the Antelmann.com website
static Properties	getProperties() This method returns the current application properties; changes to the Properties will be reflected in subsequent calls to this method.
static String	getProperty(String key) provides a shortcut for getProperties().getPropterty(key)
static String	getProperty(String key, String defaultValue) This method will try to find the value for the given key and return it - or return the defaultValue if the property was not found or the default property file could not be opened
static URL	getResource(String resource) This method encapsulates calls to the embedded ClassLoader to ease dealing with problems when not finding the resource.
static void	init(Properties newProperties) initializes the properties to be used by Settings; all previously set properties are lost
static void	installLicense(License l) installs the given license to the LicenseManager - a convenience method.
static boolean	isTrue(String key)
static boolean	isValueTrue(Object value)
static void	load(File fileProperties) first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the properties are loaded from the given location.
static void	load(Properties additionalProperties) first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the given properties are loaded into the current ones.
static void	load(URL urlProperties) first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the properties are loaded from the given location.
static Properties	loadCascadingBasedOnFileNameProperty(File file, String fileProperty) the returned Properties are not automatically loaded into the properties of Settings
static Object	removeProperty(String key)
static void	setClassLoader(ClassLoader cl) sets the ClassLoader to be used in getResource(String); by default, the ClassLoader of this Settings class is used
static void	setContextClassLoader()
static void	setCurrentDirectory(File dir) allows to alter the current working directory used in getCurrentDirectory()
static void	setLicenseHandler(LicenseHandler handler) allows to react on failed license-checks by establishing a proper handler
static Object	setProperty(String key, String value) sets a property within these settings
static void	setSystemClassLoader() sets the class loader to be used to the system class loader

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

DEFAULT_PROPERTY_FILE

public static final String DEFAULT_PROPERTY_FILE

denotes the relative location of the file for the default Properties, so that it can be found through the ClassLoader

See Also:

Constant Field Values

CURRENT_DIRECTORY

public static final String CURRENT_DIRECTORY

denotes the property key used to keep track of the current directory that file dialogs should use

See Also:

Constant Field Values

Method Detail

getCurrentDirectory

public static File getCurrentDirectory()

provides a current working directory that may be altered and may be null

setCurrentDirectory

public static void setCurrentDirectory(File dir)

allows to alter the current working directory used in getCurrentDirectory()

setLicenseHandler

public static void setLicenseHandler(LicenseHandler handler)

allows to react on failed license-checks by establishing a proper handler

See Also:

getLicenseHandler(), checkLicense(Object)

getLicenseHandler

public static LicenseHandler getLicenseHandler()

returns the LicenseHandler currently in place to react if a call to checkLicense(Object) fails initially.

See Also:

checkLicense(Object), setLicenseHandler(LicenseHandler)

checkLicense

public static void checkLicense(Object licensee)
                         throws SecurityException

calls checkLicense(licensee, null)

Throws:

SecurityException

See Also:

checkLicense(Object, Component)

checkLicense

public static void checkLicense(Object licensee,
                                Component c)
                         throws SecurityException

checks whether there is a valid license installed for accessing the given object - a convenience method normally used by an application to check whether access to an object is licensed. The method will only return normally if a valid license is available for the given licensee.

By establishing a LicenseHandler, this method - in the event of the license check initially failing - will not immediately fail by throwing an exception, but will first try to e.g. obtain or renew a license through a call to the LicenseHander. After the LicenseHandler was called, the method will once again check with the LicenseManager, whether a valid license is present.

Parameters:

licensee - any object for wich a license is to be checked

c - the parent component from where this call occurs (may be null). This component (if present) can be used by the LicenseHandler to show dialogs on top of the given component.

Throws:

SecurityException - if the license check failed; the exception cause will be a LicensingException

See Also:

setLicenseHandler(LicenseHandler), LicenseHandler, License, LicenseManager, LicensingException

installLicense

public static void installLicense(License l)
                           throws SecurityException

installs the given license to the LicenseManager - a convenience method.

Throws:

SecurityException - if the licenses could not be verified. The embedded cause will be a LicensingException

See Also:

License, LicenseManager, LicensingException

setClassLoader

public static void setClassLoader(ClassLoader cl)

sets the ClassLoader to be used in getResource(String); by default, the ClassLoader of this Settings class is used

See Also:

getResource(String)

setSystemClassLoader

public static void setSystemClassLoader()

sets the class loader to be used to the system class loader

setContextClassLoader

public static void setContextClassLoader()

getClassLoader

public static ClassLoader getClassLoader()

returns the ClassLoader currently used to locate resources

See Also:

setClassLoader(ClassLoader)

getResource

public static URL getResource(String resource)
                       throws ResourceNotFoundException

This method encapsulates calls to the embedded ClassLoader to ease dealing with problems when not finding the resource. Instead of just returning null if a resource is not found, an exception is thrown (which is particularly helpful for image loading in swing). If you are working in special environments where the system class loader may not find the resource you are looking for, you need to set the class loader of this class to the one you need.

Throws:

ResourceNotFoundException - if the given resource could not be found

See Also:

setClassLoader(ClassLoader)

init

public static void init(Properties newProperties)

initializes the properties to be used by Settings; all previously set properties are lost

isTrue

public static boolean isTrue(String key)

isValueTrue

public static boolean isValueTrue(Object value)

getNumber

public static Number getNumber(String key,
                               Number defaultValue)

getNumber

public static Number getNumber(String key,
                               Filter<? super Number> filter,
                               Number defaultValue)

getProperty

public static String getProperty(String key,
                                 String defaultValue)

This method will try to find the value for the given key and return it - or return the defaultValue if the property was not found or the default property file could not be opened

getProperty

public static String getProperty(String key)
                          throws ResourceNotFoundException

provides a shortcut for getProperties().getPropterty(key)

Throws:

ResourceNotFoundException - if the property file could not be located

See Also:

getProperties()

setProperty

public static Object setProperty(String key,
                                 String value)

sets a property within these settings

removeProperty

public static Object removeProperty(String key)

getAllValuesForProperty

public static String[] getAllValuesForProperty(String prefix)

getProperties

public static Properties getProperties()
                                throws ResourceNotFoundException

This method returns the current application properties; changes to the Properties will be reflected in subsequent calls to this method.

Throws:

ResourceNotFoundException - if the property file could not be located

loadCascadingBasedOnFileNameProperty

public static Properties loadCascadingBasedOnFileNameProperty(File file,
                                                              String fileProperty)
                                                       throws IOException

the returned Properties are not automatically loaded into the properties of Settings

Throws:

IOException

load

public static void load(File fileProperties)
                 throws IOException

first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the properties are loaded from the given location.

Throws:

IOException

load

public static void load(URL urlProperties)
                 throws IOException

first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the properties are loaded from the given location.

Throws:

IOException

load

public static void load(Properties additionalProperties)
                 throws IOException

first, this method tries to initialize with the default properties, but even if that fails, the given properties are loaded into the current ones.

Throws:

IOException

extractOptions

public static Properties extractOptions(String[] args)

based on option key '-'; useful for command line options

getOnlineProperties

public static Properties getOnlineProperties()

returns a fresh set of default Properties directly from the Antelmann.com website