Gfrktyl

I am no newcomer to Java. One thing that confounds me is why it is so messy to load values from .properties files.

I have an application where, if the .properties file is found, then the value if found, should be used. And in any other circumstance, to use the default. (In the correct deployment, the server is run with sufficient permissions to engage with the socket listener 443, whereas in the development environment or any other environment where a person goes to the trouble to insert the .properties file, another port will be used).

The location of the file is com/foo/bar/webserver.properties in the in the same directory as the class file com/foo/bar/WebServer.class.

The content of webserver.properties is simply:

 listen=4444

Since this such a terribly simple function I would like to know if the community of reviewers sees a more elegant/succinct/secure/complete/correct way to load the value. I feel like I must be overlooking something basic for what feels like, to me, should be a one-liner more like the imaginary API:

    // set int value for key "listen", or else default value 443

    int port = Properties.loadProperties( "webserver.properties" ).getInt( "listen", 443 );

And here is my real code for review:

    int port;

    try ( InputStream webserverProperties = WebServer.class.getResourceAsStream( "webserver.properties" ) ) {

        if ( webserverProperties == null ) {

            port = 443;

        } else {

            Properties p = new Properties();

            p.load( webserverProperties );

            String listen = p.getProperty( "listen", "443" );

            port = Integer.parseInt( listen );

        }

    }

    catch ( NumberFormatException e ) { port = 443; }

    finally {}

you could at least get rid of the if by combining the exceptions:

int port;

try ( InputStream webserverProperties = WebServer.class.getResourceAsStream( "webserver.properties" ) ) {

        Properties p = new Properties();

        p.load( webserverProperties );

        String listen = p.getProperty( "listen", "443" );

        port = Integer.parseInt( listen );

}

catch ( NumberFormatException|NullPointerException e ) { port = 443; }

finally {}

or ignore exceptions at all:

int port= 443;

try ( InputStream webserverProperties = WebServer.class.getResourceAsStream( "webserver.properties" ) ) {

        Properties p = new Properties();

        p.load( webserverProperties );

        String listen = p.getProperty( "listen", "443" );

        port = Integer.parseInt( listen );

}

catch ( Exception e ) {}

finally {}