java – Get ‘Class’ Object from Generic Type T in Java

genericsjava

I want to make generic function that return Object representation of XML document (using JAXB). I need to pass "class" object to JAXBContext constructor, but how I can get it from T?

public <T> readXmlToObject(String xmlFileName, T  jaxbClass) {
   JAXBContext context = JAXBContext.newInstance(T.class); // T.class - here error, how to get it?
   .......
}

Best Answer

Pass the class object instead and it's easy.

public <T> T readXmlToObject(String xmlFileName, Class<T>  jaxbClass) {
       JAXBContext context = JAXBContext.newInstance( jaxbClass ); // T.class - here error, how to get it?
       Object o = context.createUnmarshaller().unmarshal( new File( xmlFileName ) );
       return jaxbClass.cast( o );
}

The idea here is that since you can't extract the type parameter from the object, you have to do it the other way around: start with the class and then manipulate the object to match the type parameter.

Related Solutions

Java Generics – Get Class of Generic Parameter

The typesafe, but boilerplatey way to do this is to pass the Class<T> token "where the compiler can see it":

public abstract class RootProcessor<T> {
    Class<T> clazz;

    protected RootProcessor<T>(Class<T> clazz) {
        this.clazz = clazz;
    }
}

public class FooProcessor extends RootProcessor<Foo> {
    public FooProcessor() {
        super(Foo.class);
    }
}

If you're doing an unchecked cast but you "know what you're doing" and want the compiler to stop complaining, the correct approach would be localising the non-type-safe-but-you-know-they-work bits and using @SuppressWarnings:

public abstract class RootProcessor<T> {
    Class<T> clazz;
    { initClazz(); }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    private void initClazz() {
        // the usual verbiage you already have in your question
        this.clazz = this.getClass().getGenericSuperclass().yadda().blah();
    }
}

(I won't hold this against you :P)

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Java Generics – Get Class of Generic Parameter

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