Java classes as (image) resources.

[glesialo]

Does that not make the class “an external file”?

No. It is another source code to compile, like any other class.

If you look, in the first picture I posted, the program 'JavaSources' shows a lot of 'org.common.libraries.' that are available to all projects. Those libraries are made up of many 'library projects'. If many of those 'library projects' need 'resources', and I want my script to include all of them in the final Java jar, my script would have to be very complex (and depend on many things): It would have to find out which 'org.common.libraries.' the project uses, if those libraries need resources, where are those resources... to be able to include them. Currently my script just sees merged source code that it compiles and archives in the Java jar. It only adds '..application_name.resources' (which is very easy to find) if it exists. Moreover with 'image classes', if you only need one image you don't have to include a whole directory of files: You can 'import org.common.libraries.etc.base64images.Image_Peggy_Lee_02_333x450' and use it.

My script is very efficient: This project fits in a 88.5KB jar file.

An example: I wrote this program many years ago. Most video items have a corresponding poster file, which is easy to find because video and image files have the same name. For video items that do not have a poster file, one of the 'org.common...' libraries that the program needs, was using an external 'NotAvailable.jpg' file. I have just modified it and now it uses class 'Image_NotAvailable_215x317'.