[java] How to load/reference a file as a File instance from the classpath

Or use directly the InputStream of the resource using the absolute CLASSPATH path (starting with the / slash character):


getClass().getResourceAsStream("/com/path/to/file.txt");

Or relative CLASSPATH path (when the class you are writing is in the same Java package as the resource file itself, i.e. com.path.to):


getClass().getResourceAsStream("file.txt");