Loading [managed] images with ImageIO

Code example modified (basically a copy) from http://www.javagaming.org/cgi-bin/JGNetForums/YaBB.cgi?board=2D;action=display;num=1058722081;start=27#27

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
public class ImageLoader {
   final GraphicsConfiguration gc;
   public ImageLoader(GraphicsConfiguration gc) {
       if(gc==null) {
           gc = GraphicsEnvironment.getLocalGraphicsEnvironment().getDefaultScreenDevice ().getDefaultConfiguration();
       }
       this.gc = gc;
   }
 
   public BufferedImage loadImage(String resource) {
       try  {
           BufferedImage src = javax.imageio.ImageIO.read(getClass().getResource(resource));
           //In Java 1.4 and earlier Images returned from ImageIO are NOT managed images
           //Therefore, we copy it into a ManagedImage
           BufferedImage dst = gc.createCompatibleImage(src.getWidth(),src.getHeight(),src.getColorModel(),src.getTransparency());
           // Setting transparency
           Graphics2D g2d = dst.createGraphics();
           g2d.setComposite(AlphaComposite.Src);
           // Copy image
           g2d.drawImage(src,0,0,null);
           g2d.dispose();
           return dst;
       } catch(java.io.IOException ioe) {
           ioe.printStackTrace(); 
           return null;
       }
   }
} 
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