The easy way to do it is to note that a Java properties file has the same format as a basic shell script.

However, there's a trick to it. If you just run the properties file like so:

sh appl.properties

The assignments will be made at the sub-level, then discarded when the properties file (script) ends execution.

So to get the properties in a calling script, you need to use the "source" command:

. appl.properties

Note that the space after the initial dot is very important!

To reference shell variable assignments, you use the "$" to indicate variable substitution.

So, to put it all together: