How to include external configuration resources to classpath in Spring (Spring Boot)? - spring

Question

I have 3rd party library that is configured by placing properties file on the root of the classpath. That library is using getClass().getResourceAsStream("/file.properties") to load that file. As it is 3rd party, it is unmodifiable. I have placed that configuration file into external resources directory (not to be mistaken with resources from eg. Maven's or Gradle's directory structure.
Directory structure is like this.
How to run/configure Spring boot to include content of resources directory to the classpath so getResourceAsStream wil work?
On SE application I would simply do java -jar myApp.jar with classpath in MANIFEST and that would work.
EDIT:
Just a word of clarification - putting configuration file inside project resources (along sources) is missing the whole point. I want to keep configuration externalized.

Answer 1

Here is how you can do it:
1.- Change your spring-boot-maven-plugin configuration to enable the Spring Boot PropertiesLauncher:
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
<artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<configuration>
<layout>ZIP</layout>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
2.- Launch your Spring Boot Application setting the location of the external properties file:
java -jar -Dloader.path=PATH_TO_PROPERTIES_FOLDER spring-ms-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
Assuming this folders:
/home/user/
|--- file.properties
|--- spring-mg-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
You should launch it like this: java -jar -Dloader.path=/home/user spring-ms-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar