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

[Addez]

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:

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?

[JeffGrigg]

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. ;-)

[Addez]

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

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;
}