diff -u -r1.2 -r1.3
--- LayerWeight.java	17 Jul 2008 00:52:39 -0000	1.2
+++ LayerWeight.java	17 Jul 2008 21:51:08 -0000	1.3
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@

 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;

+import java.io.InputStream;

 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;

@@ -78,6 +79,57 @@

         }
         
         

+        /**
+         * Returns the prefix of the default resource path to where the 
+         * layer weight XML files are stored.
+         * @return default resource path to XML weights
+         */
+        public static String getDefaultResourcePrefix(){
+            return "org/lcsim/contrib/seedtracker/strategybuilder/weights/";
+        }
+        
+        /**
+         * Loads LayerWeight definitions from the resource with the specified name.
+         * The name should be something like /org/lcsim/contrib/seedtracker/strategybuilder/weights/weights.xml
+         * 
+         * getDefaultResourcePrefix() may be helpful. 
+         * 
+         * @param resourceName the full name of the resource file to read
+         * @return the read LayerWeight definitions
+         */
+        public static LayerWeight getLayerWeightFromResource(String resourceName) {    
+            return getLayerWeightFromInputStream(LayerWeight.class.getClassLoader().getResourceAsStream(resourceName)); 
+            
+        }
+        
+        
+        /**
+         * Loads LayerWeight definitions from the specified input stream
+         * @param in an input stream corresponding to a valid XML file 
+         * @return the read LayerWeight definitions
+         */
+        public static LayerWeight getLayerWeightFromInputStream(InputStream in){
+            
+            Document doc; 
+            SAXBuilder builder = new SAXBuilder();
+            try {
+                doc = builder.build(in);
+            } catch (JDOMException jdom) {
+                jdom.printStackTrace();
+                throw new RuntimeException("JDOM exception occurred"); 
+            } catch (IOException io ) {
+                io.printStackTrace();
+                throw new RuntimeException("IO Exception occurred"); 
+            }
+            
+            return getLayerWeightFromDocument(doc);
+ 
+        }
+        /**
+         * Loads LayerWeight definitions from the specified file. 
+         * @param file a valid XML file specifying layer weights
+         * @return the read LayerWeight definitions
+         */

         public static LayerWeight getLayerWeightFromFile(File file){
             
             if (! file.exists() )

@@ -95,6 +147,10 @@

                 throw new RuntimeException("IO Exception occurred"); 
             }
             

+            return getLayerWeightFromDocument(doc); 
+        }
+        
+        private static LayerWeight getLayerWeightFromDocument(Document doc) {

             Element root = doc.getRootElement(); 
             LayerWeight lw = new LayerWeight(); 
             

@@ -119,7 +175,12 @@

                 
             return lw; 
         }

-        

+        /**
+         * Writes this LayerWeight to an XML file with a location specified
+         * by the given file object. 
+         * @param file output File object 
+         * @return true if succesful, false otherwise. 
+         */

         public boolean writeToFile(File file){
             Element root = new Element("LayerWeight"); 
             Document doc = new Document(root); 

diff -u -r1.2 -r1.3
--- DefaultLayerWeight.java	17 Jul 2008 00:52:39 -0000	1.2
+++ DefaultLayerWeight.java	17 Jul 2008 21:51:08 -0000	1.3
@@ -5,18 +5,16 @@

 
 package org.lcsim.contrib.seedtracker.strategybuilder;
 

-import java.io.File;
-

 /**
  *The layer weighting scheme used by default by StrategyBuilder if no other is

- * provided. It's loaded from the file specified in filename. 

+ * provided. It's loaded from the specified resource. 

  * 
  * @author cozzy
  */
 public class DefaultLayerWeight extends LayerWeight {
 

-    private static final String filename = "resources/org/lcsim/contrib/seedtracker/strategybuilder/weights/default_weights.xml";

+    private static final String resource = "default_weights.xml";

     public DefaultLayerWeight(){

-         super(LayerWeight.getLayerWeightFromFile(new File(filename))); 

+         super( LayerWeight.getLayerWeightFromResource(LayerWeight.getDefaultResourcePrefix()+resource) ); 

     }   
 }