Execute a jar with an external properties file
jar, java, properties
Solution
Once you specify `-jar` all classpath options are ignored.
Instead, specify a default config location (like in user's home directory) and allow overriding on the command line.
There are a variety of command line parsing options, the easiest annotate class properties with option information, e.g., the long and short option names, usage, etc.
Or use a `-D` option and retrieve the appropriate system property.
Another option is the `Preferences` API.
Problem
I have a jar with main-class which can be executed like: java -jar test.jar Inside the jar I have something like ``` public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException { InputStream is = ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader().getResourceAsStream("config.properties"); Properties prop = new Properties(); prop.load(is); //then I wanna fetch all the properties in the config.properties file } ``` I run both: java -jar test.jar java -jar test.jar -cp /tmp (where config.properties is located) java -jar test.jar -cp /tmp/config.properties (obviously it doesn't work, but give you the idea what I am trying to achieve here) The code didn't work, all three throw NPE although I put the path of the config.properties file under my $PATH and $CLASSPATH. The point is that, in long run, I will put the configuration file in ${my-config-path}, and read/handle it properly. But temporally I just want something quick and dirty. - I DO NOT want to include the properties file in my jar. - I want to keep it externally in the classpath or path, when I execute the jar, it locates it without issues.