AutoRes.uk

Annotation driven Java™ open source library for automating embedded resource file handling - a convenient alternative to Class.getResourceAsStream.

• Validate resource names with the compiler
• Replace manual resource file I/O handling with generated byte arrays or strings
• Replace localization resource bundle messages with typed method signatures
• Create GraalVM native images without the need for resource manifests
• Extend with additional generators or validators

AutoRes.uk is a compile-time only dependency and does not need to be distributed with application code.

Usage 🔗

Browse the central repository for a build system import snippet for the uk.autores:annotations library.

Annotate a type or package and specify the resource files.

Examples 🔗

@Texts creates one class per text file that provides the file content as a String.

    import uk.autores.*;

    @Texts({"Poule.txt", "Roses.txt"})
    public class PrintRhymes {
      public static void main(String...args)  {
        System.out.println(Poule.text());
        System.out.println(Roses.text());
      }
    }
    

@Messages generates typed methods from properties files that localize and format strings.

    import uk.autores.*;
    import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
    import java.util.Locale;

    @Messages("msgs.properties")
    public class PrintMessage {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
        var locale = Locale.getDefault();
        int planet = 4;
        var time = ZonedDateTime.now();
        var event = "a meteor strike";
        /* planet-event=At {1,time} on {1,date}, there was {2} on planet {0,number,integer}. */
        String msg = Msgs.planetEvent(locale, planet, time, event);
        System.out.println(msg);
      }
    }
    

Other annotations are @ByteArrays, @Keys, @InputStreams, and the extensible @ResourceFiles.

Versioning & Compatibility 🔗

Versions are split into three integers: Java version; major version; minor version.

Functionally identical Java 8 and Java 11 versions are published. The Java 11 version has marginally better encapsulation when modules are in use.

Modules 🔗

Use requires static uk.autores in module-info.java to depend on this library at compile time only.

    module example.module.name {
      requires static uk.autores;
    }
    

Apache Maven 🔗

Apache Maven projects should use the provided scope.

    <!-- Maven 3 -->
    <dependency>
      <groupId>uk.autores</groupId>
      <artifactId>annotations</artifactId>
      <version>${autores.version}</version>
      <scope>provided</scope>
    </dependency>
    

If necessary make the compiler aware of the annotation processor using annotationProcessorPaths.

    <!-- Maven 3 -->
    <build>
      <plugins>
          <plugin>
              <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
              <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
              <version>${maven.compiler.plugin.version}</version>
              <configuration>
                  <annotationProcessorPaths>
                      <path>
                          <groupId>uk.autores</groupId>
                          <artifactId>annotations</artifactId>
                          <version>${autores.version}</version>
                      </path>
                  </annotationProcessorPaths>
              </configuration>
          </plugin>
      </plugins>
    </build>
    

Gradle 🔗

Gradle projects must add resource files to the classpath. The library must be exposed to the annotation processor.

    // Gradle 8; Kotlin syntax
    var autores = "uk.autores:annotations:" + autoresVersion

    dependencies {
      compileOnly(files("src/main/resources"))
      compileOnly(autores)
      annotationProcessor(autores)
    }