A solution is available since 2.8.0 with https://sakaiproject.atlassian.net/browse/SAK-15037#icft=SAK-15037

I have a feeling that this would help for defining categories in SAK-16600. Going to write that up.

Having the tools explicitly invoke the common bundle file would avoid ambiguity. Adding a global namespace to the properties key names could be used to identify the global bundle properties. This would require changing a broad range of code, but it could be done incrementally as well.

The name config made me forget there already was localization in it.

I would favor a common directory in localization/bundles/src/bundle/org/sakaiproject/localization/bundle for these shared strings.

Instead of adding a test in ResourceLoader.getString(), I would favor tools explicitly using the common bundle properties.

What do you think?

Perhaps the simplest fix would be something like this:

// ResourceLoader.getString() pseudo-code

if (requested property file has key/value)
return value;
else if (common property file has key/value)
return value;
else
return property key not found error;

The sakai/config/localization directory provides us a common location for a global properties file, that is accessible to all projects (Thanks Anthony!), so this shouldn't be that difficult of a task.