ListResourceBundle (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.util.ListResourceBundle class
Date: 2026-04-17

compact1, compact2, compact3
java.util

## Class ListResourceBundle

- java.lang.Object
- - java.util.ResourceBundle
  - - java.util.ListResourceBundle

- Direct Known Subclasses:
    AccessibleResourceBundle

      public abstract class ListResourceBundle
      extends ResourceBundle

  `ListResourceBundle` is an abstract subclass of `ResourceBundle` that manages resources for a locale in a convenient and easy to use list. See `ResourceBundle` for more information about resource bundles in general.

  Subclasses must override `getContents` and provide an array, where each item in the array is a pair of objects. The first element of each pair is the key, which must be a `String`, and the second element is the value associated with that key.

  The following example shows two members of a resource bundle family with the base name "MyResources". "MyResources" is the default member of the bundle family, and "MyResources_fr" is the French member. These members are based on `ListResourceBundle` (a related example shows how you can add a bundle to this family that's based on a properties file). The keys in this example are of the form "s1" etc. The actual keys are entirely up to your choice, so long as they are the same as the keys you use in your program to retrieve the objects from the bundle. Keys are case-sensitive.

  >      public class MyResources extends ListResourceBundle {
  >          protected Object[][] getContents() {
  >              return new Object[][] {
  >              // LOCALIZE THIS
  >                  {"s1", "The disk \"{1}\" contains {0}."},  // MessageFormat pattern
  >                  {"s2", "1"},                               // location of {0} in pattern
  >                  {"s3", "My Disk"},                         // sample disk name
  >                  {"s4", "no files"},                        // first ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s5", "one file"},                        // second ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s6", "{0,number} files"},                // third ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s7", "3 Mar 96"},                        // sample date
  >                  {"s8", new Dimension(1,5)}                 // real object, not just string
  >              // END OF MATERIAL TO LOCALIZE
  >              };
  >          }
  >      }

  >      public class MyResources_fr extends ListResourceBundle {
  >          protected Object[][] getContents() {
  >              return new Object[][] {
  >              // LOCALIZE THIS
  >                  {"s1", "Le disque \"{1}\" {0}."},          // MessageFormat pattern
  >                  {"s2", "1"},                               // location of {0} in pattern
  >                  {"s3", "Mon disque"},                      // sample disk name
  >                  {"s4", "ne contient pas de fichiers"},     // first ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s5", "contient un fichier"},             // second ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s6", "contient {0,number} fichiers"},    // third ChoiceFormat choice
  >                  {"s7", "3 mars 1996"},                     // sample date
  >                  {"s8", new Dimension(1,3)}                 // real object, not just string
  >              // END OF MATERIAL TO LOCALIZE
  >              };
  >          }
  >      }

  The implementation of a `ListResourceBundle` subclass must be thread-safe if it's simultaneously used by multiple threads. The default implementations of the methods in this class are thread-safe.

  Since:
    JDK1.1
  See Also:
    `ResourceBundle`, `PropertyResourceBundle`

- - ### Nested Class Summary

    - ### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class java.util.ResourceBundle

      `ResourceBundle.Control`

  - ### Field Summary

    - ### Fields inherited from class java.util.ResourceBundle

      `parent`

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `ListResourceBundle()` Sole constructor.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected abstract Object[][]` | `getContents()` Returns an array in which each item is a pair of objects in an `Object` array.
    `Enumeration<String>` | `getKeys()` Returns an `Enumeration` of the keys contained in this `ResourceBundle` and its parent bundles.
    `Object` | `handleGetObject(String key)` Gets an object for the given key from this resource bundle.
    `protected Set<String>` | `handleKeySet()` Returns a `Set` of the keys contained only in this `ResourceBundle`.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.util.ResourceBundle

      `clearCache, clearCache, containsKey, getBaseBundleName, getBundle, getBundle, getBundle, getBundle, getBundle, getBundle, getLocale, getObject, getString, getStringArray, keySet, setParent`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### ListResourceBundle

          public ListResourceBundle()

      Sole constructor. (For invocation by subclass constructors, typically implicit.)

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### handleGetObject

          public final Object handleGetObject(String key)

      Description copied from class: `ResourceBundle`
      Gets an object for the given key from this resource bundle. Returns null if this resource bundle does not contain an object for the given key.
      Specified by:
        `handleGetObject` in class `ResourceBundle`
      Parameters:
        `key` - the key for the desired object
      Returns:
        the object for the given key, or null

    - #### getKeys

          public Enumeration<String> getKeys()

      Returns an `Enumeration` of the keys contained in this `ResourceBundle` and its parent bundles.
      Specified by:
        `getKeys` in class `ResourceBundle`
      Returns:
        an `Enumeration` of the keys contained in this `ResourceBundle` and its parent bundles.
      See Also:
        `ResourceBundle.keySet()`

    - #### handleKeySet

          protected Set<String> handleKeySet()

      Returns a `Set` of the keys contained only in this `ResourceBundle`.
      Overrides:
        `handleKeySet` in class `ResourceBundle`
      Returns:
        a `Set` of the keys contained only in this `ResourceBundle`
      Since:
        1.6
      See Also:
        `ResourceBundle.keySet()`

    - #### getContents

          protected abstract Object[][] getContents()

      Returns an array in which each item is a pair of objects in an `Object` array. The first element of each pair is the key, which must be a `String`, and the second element is the value associated with that key. See the class description for details.
      Returns:
        an array of an `Object` array representing a key-value pair.

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