catch(AccessControlException access_ex) {  }
    static InputStream getConfigStream(String properties) throws IOException {        InputStream configStream = null;        // Check to see if the properties string is a URL.        try {            configStream=new URL(properties).openStream();        }        catch (MalformedURLException mre) {            // the properties string is not a URL        }        // Commented so the caller is notified of this condition, but left in        // the code for documentation purposes.        //        // catch (IOException ioe) {            // the specified URL string was not reachable        // }        // Check to see if the properties string is the name of a resource,        // e.g. default.xml.        if(configStream == null && properties.endsWith("xml")) {            ClassLoader classLoader=Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();            configStream=classLoader.getResourceAsStream(properties);        }        // Check to see if the properties string is the name of a file.        if (configStream == null) {            try {                configStream=new FileInputStream(properties);            }            catch(FileNotFoundException fnfe) {                // the properties string is likely not a file            }        }        return configStream;    }