Re: Properties Files vs. War/Ear files

[Pete Helgren <Pete@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Walden,

I am not sure about Websphere but for our Tomcat applications we have a 
folder outside of the application path we use to store a properties 
file.  In fact, we have a dbmanager application that stores just the 
type of information you mention. I am guessing that you can do that with 
just about any web application.  We don't normally use the web.xml file 
for anything but more "static" application settings.

If there is a specific properties file for Websphere settings, I am 
guessing that you should be able to "protect" it from updates (I don't 
know, we don't use Websphere currently).  If it is your own properties 
file, you should be able to put wherever you want and update it only 
when you need to.

Perhaps you could use Ant to build the war and have it exclude the file 
you are referring to.  That would mean that you would have both a "new" 
war and and "update" war with the update war excluding the properties file.

Pete Helgren


Walden H. Leverich wrote:

> All,
>
> If I understand the concept correctly, one should put their "softcoded"
> things into a properties file. This could be connection strings (if
> you're not using WebSphere data sources), Web Services addresses, URLs
> you access that are different between test and production, etc.
>
> Now, the properties file is "wrapped" into the WAR file that's deployed
> to websphere. So, once deployed you go into the properties file and make
> your changes? Am I good so far? If so, what's the process for deploying
> updates? If I re-deploy the WAR file then I'll overwrite the properties
> file, so I have to make my changes again? 
>
> Is there a way to exclude the properties file from the WAR and have WS
> leave it on the server?
>
> -Walden
>
> ------------
> Walden H Leverich III
> Tech Software
> (516) 627-3800 x11
> WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.TechSoftInc.com <blocked::http://www.techsoftinc.com/> 
>
> Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
> (Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
>
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