Question

I have a challenge:

Imagine you have a set of messages like this:

Code / Message

200567 = A new user was created
462001 = Unknown client number
…

I’m trying to find the neatest, lightest, and easiest to maintain way to use this messages in java.

The rules are:

1. You need to be able to access the message by its code
2. You need to be able to print the code
3. You need to be able to easily change the number of a code in the future

Other notes:

• The messages can be in a proprieties file, in other file, in a class, or other place (?), whatever you find better.
• The code can be a integer or a string (Like MSG_423456), whatever you find better.

So, anybody has ideas?
(Sorry about my lousy English)

Answer 1

I would put this in an enumeration.

public enum MessageType {  

NEW_USER("String 123", "A new user was created");
private String code, message;

private MessageType(String code, String message) {
this.code = code;
this.message = message
}

I would go for enumerations because they are to be checked into source control, typically in the environments where I work the properties file is meant to be configured by the individual. Such as an ant build properties file.