public static Entry createEntry(OMElement elem, Properties properties) {
    String customFactory = SynapsePropertiesLoader.getPropertyValue("synapse.entry.factory", "");
    if (customFactory != null && !"".equals(customFactory)) {
      try {
        Class c = Class.forName(customFactory);
        Object o = c.newInstance();
        if (o instanceof IEntryFactory) {
          return ((IEntryFactory) o).createEntry(elem);
        }
      } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
        handleException(
            "Class specified by the synapse.entry.factory "
                + "synapse property not found: "
                + customFactory,
            e);
      } catch (InstantiationException e) {
        handleException(
            "Class specified by the synapse.entry.factory "
                + "synapse property cannot be instantiated: "
                + customFactory,
            e);
      } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
        handleException(
            "Class specified by the synapse.entry.factory "
                + "synapse property cannot be accessed: "
                + customFactory,
            e);
      }
    }

    OMAttribute key = elem.getAttribute(new QName(XMLConfigConstants.NULL_NAMESPACE, "key"));
    if (key == null) {
      handleException("The 'key' attribute is required for a local registry entry");
      return null;

    } else {

      Entry entry = new Entry(key.getAttributeValue());

      OMElement descriptionElem = elem.getFirstChildWithName(DESCRIPTION_Q);
      if (descriptionElem != null) {
        entry.setDescription(descriptionElem.getText());
        descriptionElem.detach();
      }

      String src = elem.getAttributeValue(new QName(XMLConfigConstants.NULL_NAMESPACE, "src"));

      // if a src attribute is present, this is a URL source resource,
      // it would now be loaded from the URL source, as all static properties
      // are initialized at startup
      if (src != null) {
        try {
          entry.setSrc(new URL(src.trim()));
          entry.setType(Entry.URL_SRC);
          entry.setValue(SynapseConfigUtils.getObject(entry.getSrc(), properties));
        } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
          handleException("The entry with key : " + key + " refers to an invalid URL");
        }

      } else {
        OMNode nodeValue = elem.getFirstOMChild();
        OMElement elemValue = elem.getFirstElement();

        if (elemValue != null) {
          entry.setType(Entry.INLINE_XML);
          entry.setValue(elemValue);
        } else if (nodeValue != null && nodeValue instanceof OMText) {
          entry.setType(Entry.INLINE_TEXT);
          entry.setValue(elem.getText().trim());
        }
      }

      return entry;
    }
  }