Safe way to get path in bean configuration?

[marvi]

I need to get the path to a directory injected in a bean in my context:

<bean id="myBean" class="my.Class">
   <constructor-arg><value>a java.io.File</value></constructor-arg>
</bean>

The constructor wants a File, representing a path to a directory.

I need this to work across different servlet containers.

[Colin Yates]

You would be much better IMHO to use Springs org.springframework.core.io.Resource abstraction: http://www.springframework.org/docs/...resources.html

[marvi]

Yes, I know, but the bean is not written by me.

[Colin Yates]

I don't know if there are propertyEditors registered for java.io.Files, so you will either have to write one yourself and register it, or write a FactoryBean:

  public FileFactoryBean extends SimpleFactoryBean {
    private final Resource resource;
    public FileFactorybean(final Resource theResource) {
      this.resource = theResource;
    }
    protected abstract Object createInstance() throws Exception {
      return resource.getFile();
    }
  }

then in your bean factory:

<bean id="myBean" class="my.Class">
   <constructor-arg index="0">
     <bean class="FileFactoryBean">
       <constructor-arg index="0" value="path/to/your/file"/>
     </bean>
   </constructor-arg>
</bean>

HTH.

[marvi]

Thanks! Working great!

public class FileFactoryBean implements FactoryBean {
    
    private final Resource resource;
    
    public FileFactoryBean(final Resource theResource) {
      this.resource = theResource;
    }

    public Object getObject() throws Exception {
        return resource.getFile();
    }
    
    public Class getObjectType() {
        return File.class;
    }
    
    public boolean isSingleton() {
        return false;
    }
    
  }

<bean id="fileTemplateLoader" class="TemplateLoader">
   <constructor-arg index="0">
       <bean class="webapp.util.FileFactoryBean">
          <constructor-arg index="0" value="WEB-INF/templates/"/>
        </bean>
   </constructor-arg>
</bean>

Found some more info about FactoryBean here: http://blog.arendsen.net/?p=35