I'm working on a java SE 1.5+ swing application, in conjunction with others. I'm wondering what the best way of managing string resources is. I understand the principles behind resource bundles etc. I'd like to avoid having one property file for every class that needs a string, as this seems a bit of overkill. Especially when you have a lot of classes that may only make a single reference to a string (say in an error handler). On the other hand it makes it easier when collaborating with others as you reduce the risk of merge conflicts.
It seems particularly cumbersome to have to load resource bundles, every time you need to display simple user feedback, likewise in error handlers, when many classes are involved.
What is the most effective way to manage strings in a fairly large application with hundreds of classes, many of which aren't GUI related, but need to pass informative messages back up to the GUI when exceptions occur.
I'm using NetBeans which generally creates a property file for each GUI class, for all text relating to buttons, labels etc.