Conclusion And Resources

The choice of using an XML file or older-style a=b type file is completely up to you. The older style is certainly lighter weight from a memory perspective. However, pervasiveness of XML, one would expect the XML format to be popular, as it is widely used already, just not by means of the Properties object. The choice is completely up to you. Examine the source for the package private XMLUtils class for additional information about the XML parsing used.

Resources

• Download J2SE 1.5 Beta 1 from the Sun Developer Network.
  
  
• Download the source code examples used in this article.
  
  
• Read the Properties class javadocs for 1.5.0.
  
  
• Learn more about resource bundles in "Introducing inheritance to PropertyResourceBundles" (developerWorks, May 2001) by Eric A. Olson.
  
  
• Like the Properties class, you don't need to use SAX and DOM directly. Learn about alternatives in "Tip: Use language-specific tools for XML processing" (developerWorks, January 2004) by Uche Ogbuji.
  
  
• Examine the progress of Tiger (J2SE 1.5) with JSR 176.
  
  
• Email bug reports to Sun at j2se-beta-feedback@sun.com.
  
  
• Read the complete set of Taming Tiger tips from John Zukowski. And if you're still working with J2SE 1.4, you'll want to read Magic with Merlin series, too.
  
  
• Find hundreds more Java technology resources on the developerWorks Java technology zone.
  
  
• Visit the Developer Bookstore for a comprehensive listing of technical books, including hundreds of Java-related titles.