Getting the class of a type parameter

[Muskar]

I'm posting this in here since I'm only almost a year inside the programmer's world, so I still have some big gaps in my Java knowledge and because I'm actually unsure when something is "Advanced Java".

Basically the question is the title: How can I get the class of a type parameter?

My intention is eventually to get all the getters of a class of the type T:

Method[] methods = [B][COLOR="red"]T.class[/COLOR][/B].getMethods();
for(Method method : methods){
    if(method.getName().startsWith("get") &&
        (method.getParameterTypes().length == 0 &&
            void.class.equals(method.getReturnType()))) {
        //Do stuff
    }
}

Although T.class is not allowed.

Which solutions are there? My goal is to find the best solution but any suggestion is accepted - to help me get there.

The only thing I found was an example where they create a new instance of T so you can call getClass() on that object:
Java Generics: Instantiating Objects Of Type Parameter Without Passing Class Literal To Instance

Although I'd like to know if anyone have alternative solutions.

Thanks so much in advance!

[Junky]

Let me see if I understand, you have found a solution to your problem but you say "screw that I want a different solution".

[Muskar]

Let me see if I understand, you have found a solution to your problem but you say "screw that I want a different solution".

I assume that you think that the messy code I linked to is a proper solution - and judging solely from your post count I trust your opinion and will just try to build my solution around that, and see if I will run into troubles when I come into the testing phase.

Thing is, I'm really trying to create a general JTable-subclass that takes objects (like a JList takes an Object[]) instead of an Object[][] of variables - and I'd therefore prefer it to be as optimized as possible - but I'll look elsewhere if you don't want to help.

[Junky]

No I wasn't referring to the "messy code". I was referring to your statement about what you found by doing some research.

[Muskar]

No I wasn't referring to the "messy code". I was referring to your statement about what you found by doing some research.

I don't understand.. are you criticizing the way I formulated what I need help with - or what is this about?

[Junky]

I don't understand either.

The only thing I found was an example where they create a new instance of T so you can call getClass() on that object:
Java Generics: Instantiating Objects Of Type Parameter Without Passing Class Literal To Instance

Does this solve your problem or not?

[Muskar]

I don't understand either.

As I was trying to say, I'm trying to find the best solution, not just any solution. But perhaps this is not the forum for this kind of request?

I'm asking because I'm under the impression that it's not an optimal solution - although I'm not experienced enough with code-behind to know for sure.

[Junky]

As long as your code works and doesn't take 6 hours to run then who cares if your solution is optimal or not. As you gain more experience as a Java programmer you might learn of better solutions. But for now why waste time trying to improve your code when it probably doesn't need it?

[Muskar]

Alright, I ran the first test and discovered that the code doesn't work. It throws a NullPointerException (at the greenline) because the following if-sentence (marked red) isn't true:

T t = null;
ArrayList<String> resultList = new ArrayList<String>();
Type type = getClass().getGenericSuperclass();d
[B][COLOR="red"]if (type instanceof ParameterizedType)[/COLOR][/B] {
    ParameterizedType paramType = (ParameterizedType)type;
    System.out.println(paramType.getClass().getName());
    Class<T> tClass = (Class<T>) paramType.getActualTypeArguments()[0];
    try {
        t =  tClass.newInstance();
    } catch (InstantiationException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}
Method[] methods = [COLOR="lime"]t.getClass()[/COLOR].getMethods();
for(Method method : methods){
    if(method.getName().startsWith("get") &&
            (method.getParameterTypes().length == 0 &&
                    !void.class.equals(method.getReturnType()))) {
        resultList.add(method.getName().substring(3));
    }
}
Object[] tmp = resultList.toArray();
columnNames = new String[tmp.length];
for (int i = 0; i < tmp.length; i++) {
    columnNames[i] = (String)tmp[i];
}

I created a simple 'Person' class with a String name and an int age (and getters and setters to both) to test this.

- I don't have a clue why it doesn't work.

[Muskar]

I apologize for double-posting but I'm off the first page, so it's either bumping or creating a new topic.

I can add that this is most likely a Java Reflection question.

EDIT: Maybe I'd like this to be moved to Advanced Java and see if I make progress over there.

[DarrylBurke]

Maybe I'd like this to be moved to Advanced Java and see if I make progress over there.

Done.

db

[DarrylBurke]

Alright, I ran the first test and discovered that the code doesn't work. It throws a NullPointerException (at the greenline) because the following if-sentence (marked red) isn't true:

<snip code>

I created a simple 'Person' class with a String name and an int age (and getters and setters to both) to test this.

- I don't have a clue why it doesn't work.

Have you read the API for ParameterizedType? What in that API leads you to believe that

a simple 'Person' class with a String name and an int age (and getters and setters to both)

would be an instanceof ParameterizedType?

db

[Muskar]

Have you read the API for ParameterizedType? What in that API leads you to believe that

would be an instanceof ParameterizedType?

db

Thanks for the reply.
I never used ParameterizedType before and I didn't read the API until now - but I'm still not sure I understand what it is - or has to do with my goal.
All the code, that is an attempt to get the class of T, is taken from the mentioned link above.
I only had an idea of what it could be doing but now that it doesn't work I have no clue what it has to do with getting the class of T.
Basically all I understood, of what I read in the API, was that Type is implemented in Class, and that ParametizedType is extended from Type.

My goal is to be able to put any class, like the Person-class, as replacement of T and then retrieve the class from it so I can get it's getters etc.
Maybe I should mention that my current impression of T is that it represents a 'wildcard'-class - a class that isn't defined yet but will be later on. At least that's how I've used it over the past few months (just in case I'm wrong about that).

[Norm]

I don't think you can get the type of a class used this way in generics.
Do a search on the forum. I think There were attempts at this in the last year.

I think its documented in the Java Tutorial.

[Muskar]

I don't think you can get the type of a class used this way in generics.
Do a search on the forum. I think There were attempts at this in the last year.

I think its documented in the Java Tutorial.

I did a handful of new searches but I couldn't find anything related to my problem.
Do you recall some words from some of those posts that I could search for?
Because I think I'm too narrow-minded to figure any more alternative keywords to search for right now.

[Norm]

Read the Tutorial Generics section. Especially near the last page.

[DarrylBurke]

My goal is to be able to put any class, like the Person-class, ... so I can get it's getters etc.

java.beans.Introspector

db

[dlorde]

I don't think you can get the type of a class used this way in generics.

I'm not sure exactly what the issue is, but you can certainly get the class of a parameterized type:

class Foo {
    public <T> void printArgClassName(T arg) {
        System.out.println(arg.getClass().getSimpleName());
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String bar = "bar";
        Float barf = 12.34f;
        Foo foo = new Foo();
        foo.printArgClassName(bar);
        foo.printArgClassName(barf);
    }
}

Outputs:

String
Float

[Muskar]

I'm not sure exactly what the issue is, but you can certainly get the class of a parameterized type:

class Foo {
    public <T> void printArgClassName(T arg) {
        System.out.println(arg.getClass().getSimpleName());
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String bar = "bar";
        Float barf = 12.34f;
        Foo foo = new Foo();
        foo.printArgClassName(bar);
        foo.printArgClassName(barf);
    }
}

Outputs:

String
Float

My problem is that I don't have an object of T in my class and I'm not planning on getting one. I have an ArrayList<T> though - but I'm not aware of any way to get it's parametrized type - and the list is allowed to be empty, so I can't just get an object inside it.

Otherwise that's exactly what I need.

@Norm, call me blind but I can't seem to find anything on this subject in the entire Generics Tutorial (if it this you're talking about: http://download.oracle.com/javase/tu...xtra/generics/).

@DarrylBurke, it seems like it's meant for GUI components and not classes, or am I wrong?

[Norm]

I searched my archive and found this comment by JosAH in August 2010

JosAH:
I understand your problem; unfortunately there is no way during runtime to find the type Double in, say,
List<Double> due to type erasure; if the list is empty (i.e. not containing at least one Double) you're
out of luck. Would it be possible to keep an 'exemplar'? (a SmallTalk thingie). The type of the exemplar
would be the type of the elements in your collection. Even a String representation of the type will do.

Do a search here on erasure. There are lots of hits.