How create new instance of a class given the classname in string form?

Hi!

I got a method that takes a string and should return an instance of the class with the string as name.
For example given the string "TestApp" should execute:
return new TestApp();

Atm I'v solved it as follows:

Code:

---

public class ActivityManager {
        public static Activity newAction(String mode, Person p){
               
                if (mode.equals("RunAwayFrom")){
                        return new RunAwayFrom(p);
                }
                if (mode.equals("Babble")){
                        return new Babble(p);
                }
                if (mode.equals("Walking")){
                        return new Walking(p);
                }
                if (mode.equals("Dance")){
                        return new Dance(p);
                }
                if (mode.equals("Panic")){
                        return new Panic(p);
                }
                if (mode.equals("MakePhoneCall")){
                        return new MakePhoneCall(p);
                }
....

---

I knew from the start this was a bad idea, but thought I could figure something out along the way.
I didn't so thats why im here :P

The classes are not always in same package either. Moste of them are but some are in a secondary subpackage.
Do you have any idea on how to solve this?

You need to learn about Java Reflection. Java Reflection is the right way to solve a problem like this.

See this tutorial, for example:
Trail: The Reflection API (The Java™ Tutorials)

And once you get used to the inherent complexity of Reflection, you'll realize that it is a pretty good solution to a number of problems. (So don't be so hard on yourself. ;-)

Awsome!
For those who ask the same question, heres how it should look:

Code:

---

public static Activity getActivity(String mode){
String[] sources = {"activity.actions.","activity.actions.cop."};
for(String s : sources){
                        try{
                                Class c = Class.forName(s+mode);
                                Constructor con = c.getConstructors()[0];
                                return (Activity) con.newInstance(p);
                        } catch (Exception e){
                                //e.printStackTrace();
                        }
                }
return null;
}

---