java.io.FileNotFoundException: class path resource [WEB-INF/classes/library.properties] cannot be opened because it does not exist

dependency-injection, java, properties-file, spring

Solution

Everything in `WEB-INF/classes` is added to the root of the classpath. As such, you need to refer to your resource simply as

library.properties

or better yet

classpath:library.properties

in

<property name="location">            
    <value>classpath:library.properties</value>
</property>

You may find it useful to run

System.out.println(System.getProperty("java.class.path"));

and see what was used as classpath entries.

Problem

In my Spring application, I have a simple properties file located in folder `WEB-INF\classes` so that it, the `DispatcherServlet` and various other config files are in the `classpath`. The props file is defined in the `DispatcherServlet` as: ``` <bean id="propertiesFactory" class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertiesFactoryBean"> <property name="location"> <value>/WEB-INF/classes/library.properties</value> </property> </bean> ``` The `propertiesFactory` bean is injected into a controller: ``` @Autowired private Properties propertiesFactory; ``` And used in a one of the controller's methods as: ``` if (adminPassword.equals(propertiesFactory.getProperty("adminPassword"))) { ``` This all works perfectly, except for a test program as follows which has line: ``` ConfigurableApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("library-servlet.xml"); ``` Which throws a `BeanCreationException`: ``` Injection of autowired dependencies failed ``` Because of: ``` java.io.FileNotFoundException: class path resource [WEB-INF/classes/library.properties] cannot be opened because it does not exist ``` But if the whole application can see the props file, why not this one program?

Original source