Java Logging & Properties File

I prefer to have the properties file at the application level or JAR level if I am writing a library, with as many configuration entries in the same file as logically possible so that I end up with as few files as possible. So my properties file is at the root level of the JAR file.

To load the config.properties file at the root of the JAR:

// ResourceBundle expectes the file extension to be .properties by default.
ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("config",
    Locale.getDefault(),
    Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader());
String dmsAddress = bundle.getString("dmsAddress");

Similarly when I use Java Logging I put the logging.properties file at the same location and load it upon application start up using LogManager so that I don't have to tamper with the properties file at JRE/lib.

The logging.properties file:

handlers = java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
.level=INFO

java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO
com.laws.acc.level = ALL
com.laws.acc.ws.level = ALL

It is better to copy the JRE's logging.properties file and modify it. To load the logging configuration:

LogManager logMan=LogManager.getLogManager();
logMan.readConfiguration(Thread.currentThread().getClass().getResourceAsStream("/logging.properties"));

Resources: Smartly Load Your Properties