Accessing Files Within JAR Archives in Java

Question:
How can I access a file residing within a JAR archive from within my Java application?

Answer:
To retrieve a file from within a JAR archive, you can use the InputStream class. Here's how:

InputStream input = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/classpath/to/my/file");

Explanation:
The path to the file within the JAR archive begins with a forward slash (/), indicating that it's a classpath path rather than a file system path. In this example:

• /classpath/to/my/file represents the path to your file within the JAR.

The getInputStream() method returns an input stream that allows you to read the contents of the file. You can wrap this input stream in a Reader object if desired.