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1. Getting Started

1.1 Using Resources

Wiki MarkupThe first thing is to get hold of / create is a \[http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/resources/apidocs/org/apache/commons/resources/ResourcesFactory.html ResourcesFactory\] for the *Resources* implementation you want to use...

        ResourcesFactory factory = new PropertyResourcesFactory();
        factory.setReturnNull(true);

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        Object resource = resources.getObject("foo.key", locale, null);
        String resource = resources.getString("foo.key", locale, null);
        byte[] resource = resources.getBytes("foo.key", locale, null);
        Reader resource = resources.getReader("foo.key", locale, null);
        InputStream resource = resources.getInputStream("foo.key", locale, null);

1.1.1 Return Null Option

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The *return null* configuration option indicates what the above five _content retrieval_ methods should do when a resource key is not found - they _either_ return a *{{null}}* value or throw a \[http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/resources/apidocs/org/apache/commons/resources/ ResourcesKeyException.html ResourcesKeyException\].

Use the factory's write method for that property to configure your Resources instances for this option:

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OK the next question is what Resources implementation do I use? You have two choices...

• Wiki Markup\[wiki:ResourcesUserGuideImplementations Standard Implementations\] - Commons Resources comes with a set of standard implementations for *properties* files, *XML* documents, *database* resources and versions for use in a *Web Application*
• Wiki Markup\[wiki:ResourcesUserGuideCreating Creating an Implementation\] - create your own implementation. \\
  

1.2 Messages

The majority of what Commons Resources is about centers around the Resources type. However there are also two types defined for handling messages:

• Wiki Markup\[http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/resources/apidocs/org/apache/commons/resources/Message.html Message\] - a message representation. Wiki Markup\[http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/resources/apidocs/org/apache/commons/resources/
• MessageList.html MessageList\] - a set of Message objects. \\
  

There is also a convenience wrapper class, that provides message string lookups from a Resources instance, and parameter replacement:

• Wiki Markup\[http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/resources/apidocs/org/apache/commons/resources/Messages.html Messages\] - convenience class for handling messages. \\ \\

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See the \[wiki:ResourcesUserGuideMessages Messages\] section in this User Guide for more details.

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