Java reflection nested methods not modifying underlying object - java

I am taking in an array of methods and I want to chain them together to modify an object that I am working in.
For example I start with
"getStuff().get(1).get(3).setMoreStuff().put(stuff,6)"
I split it into an array called methods, and clean up the parameters inside each method and I try to modify this.
Object res = this;
String[] methods = targetString.split("\\.(?=\\D)");
for (String m : methods){
List<Object> params = new ArrayList<Object>();
List<Object> params = new ArrayList<Object>();
for (String p : m.split("\\(|,|\\)")) {
try {
if (p.indexOf(".") != -1){
double tempD = Double.parseDouble(p);
params.add(tempD);
} else {
int tempP = Integer.parseInt(p);
params.add(tempP);
}
} catch (Exception ex) { //not a number
params.add(p);
}
}
switch (params.size()) {
case 1:
res = res.getClass().getMethod(
params.get(0)
).invoke(res);
break;
case 2:
res = res.getClass().getMethod(
params.get(0),
params.get(1).getClass()
).invoke(res, params.get(1));
break;
case 3:
res = res.getClass().getMethod(
params.get(0),
params.get(1).getClass(),
params.get(2).getClass()
).invoke(res, params.get(1), params.get(2));
break;
}
in the end I notice that res has been modified the way that I expect. All the getters and setters are called correctly. But of course the underlying object "this" refers to has not been changed!
I guess I'm just calling the getters and setters of the copy I made in the first line!
now I can't just use
this.getClass().getMethod(...).invoke(...)
because I need to call the same getMethod on the object returned by this call.
To clarify:
Object res = this;
creates a "pointer" to this. So that when I call
res.getStuff().setStuff(foo)
this will also be modified.
but it seem that when I call
res = res.getStuff();
res = res.setStuff();
like I do in my loop,
this does not modify the underlying object this refers to?
Edit: Included more code as per request.
Edit2: added anther example, to clarify my problem.
Edit3: tried to add more code, its a bit hard to add a working program without including every class

Your general approach should be fine (although your approach to parameter conversion is somewhat ugly) - it's the specifics that are presumably causing you problems. Here's a short but complete program demonstrating calling methods and then seeing the difference afterwards:
import java.lang.reflect.*;
class Person {
private String name = "default";
public String getName() {
return name;
}
// Obviously this would normally take a parameter
public void setName() {
name = "name has been set";
}
}
class Test {
private Person person = new Person();
public Person getPerson() {
return person;
}
// Note that we're only declaring throws Exception for convenience
// here - diagnostic code only, *not* production code!
public void callMethods(String... methodNames) throws Exception {
Object res = this;
for (String methodName : methodNames) {
Method method = res.getClass().getMethod(methodName);
res = method.invoke(res);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
Test test = new Test();
test.callMethods("getPerson", "setName");
System.out.println(test.getPerson().getName());
}
}
The output is "name has been set" just as I'd expect. So see if you can simplify your code bit by bit, removing extra dependencies etc until you've got something similarly short but complete, but which doesn't work. I suspect you'll actually find the problem as you go.

Object does not change reference, its VALUE changes. So if you will call this.get("some key"), you will get value that the same value that you put using reflection.
Right?

Related

How to deal with an unitialized constructor in an if statement (Java)

I've run into a problem where I attempt to define a constructor in the first part of a switch/case statement, and then I can't run the code because the program can't get the definition later.
The idea behind passing the constructor information from a switch/case function is that the user chooses what to do, but for some options, one must be done before the other is possible (e.g. Create password and Check password).
If I try doing it this way, it throws a VarMayNotHaveBeenInitialized error (I get the sense the answer is in a try/catch statement, but I don't know enough about them to be sure). I've included some code that is what I've been essentially trying to do below. (The two classes are to best simulate the project I'm working on.)
Any help is appreciated! : )
TestMain.java:
package exitTest;
public class TestMain {
InitializeTest init;
public static void main(String[] args) {
while (true) {
String x = InitializeTest.askQuestion();
switch (x) {
case "set":
InitializeTest init = new InitializeTest();
break;
case "get":
if (init != null) {
init.showExample();
} else {
System.out.println("Error: init not initialized.");
} break;
}
}
}
}
InitializeTest.java:
package exitTest;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class InitializeTest {
static Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
public InitializeTest thing1;
public String example;
public static String askQuestion() {
System.out.println("set for set example\nget for check example");
String action = in.nextLine();
return action;
}
public InitializeTest() {
System.out.println("Input string:");
String example = in.nextLine();
}
void showExample() { System.out.println(example); }
}
You include the type when you're declaring variables, not when simply assigning to an existing one. When you write
InitializeTest init = new InitializeTest();
That makes a new init variable, unrelated to the previous one, which stores the newly constructed object. That new variable shadows the existing one, but it gets released after the switch block is over (variables in Java are block-scoped).
To put it to an analogy, it's as though you wanted to tell your friend Alice a secret. But when you went to her house, her neighbor whose name is also Alice happened to be there instead. If you tell that Alice your secret, then your friend doesn't find out. Even though the two happen to share a name, they don't share any memory.

Invoke method by reflection with dynamic parameters

I'm invoking some method of Class's instance using the method.invoke(instance, args...) way but for each method inside the instance, as the invoke Javadoc rightly points out, each argument must be manually specified.
Thinking about Spring... how it could valorize parameters in controller's method behind the hood during HTTP calls? (but surely it does in a completely different way I think...)
I wonder if there's any way in Java to dynamically pass parameters in reflection (or not even reflection) without specifying each of them singularly.
EDIT
The instance class declaration is something like:
public class Something {
public void doSth(String par1, String par2, Integer par3) {
//....
}
public void doSthElse(String par1, Boolean par2) {
//....
}
public void doSthElseMore(Integer par1) {
//....
}
}
How I'm invoking each method:
...
for (Method method : instance.getDeclaredMethods()) {
Object[] array = //BL: build array of values to pass to the invoke method.
//1. doSth may be new Object[] {"abc", "def", 123}
//2. doSthElse iteration may be new Object[] {"abc", false}
//3. doSthElseMore iteration may be new Object[] {123}
return method.invoke(instance, array);
}
...
As shown above, each method inside Something class (instance) have a different number of parameters.
On each iteration, the array have a different number of values to pass to the invoke.
Actually as #Boris says all I had to do to complete my job was to convert each parameters to the correct type. In this way Java managed to invoke the correct method of the Something class with the correct parameters types.
My project is a Vert.x application using Vavr and jodd but the last return statement shows how I managed to solve.
public Object invokeMethod(Object service, Method method, RoutingContext routingContext) throws Exception {
MultiMap queryParams = routingContext.queryParams();
Map<String, String> pathParams = routingContext.pathParams();
Buffer body = routingContext.getBody();
// 1. type, 2. name, 3. value
List<Tuple3<Class<?>, String, Object>> list = List.empty();
for (Parameter par : method.getParameters()) {
ParamQuery paramQuery = par.getAnnotation(ParamQuery.class);
if (paramQuery != null) {
list = list.push(new Tuple3<Class<?>, String, Object>(par.getType(), paramQuery.value(),
queryParams.get(paramQuery.value())));
}
}
// TypeConverterManager used to "covnert" each object (String) from the HTTP call to the correct data type
return method.invoke(service, list.reverse()
.map(mapper -> TypeConverterManager.lookup(mapper._1()).convert(mapper._3())).toJavaArray());
}
However, this project can be found on GitHub
Since I notice you are using an Integer instead of a int (so no primitives parameters in your examples), you can send null to all your methods without any problems.
So you can create an array of the correct length and this will work in your case.
public static Object[] getParametersArray(Parameter[] param){
Object[] array = new Object[param.length];
// create default primitive values based on param[#].getType()
return array;
}
Then, all you have to do is to iterate the method:
Labo l = new Labo();
for(Method m : Labo.class.getDeclaredMethods()){
if((m.getModifiers() & Modifier.STATIC) > 0){
System.out.println("SKIP " + m.getName());
continue;
}
try {
m.invoke(l, getParametersArray(m.getParameters()));
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
Notice the skipped static method, mostly because if you run this in the method containing the main method, you will have a recursive call.
This was tested with :
public void test(String s){
System.out.println("test String " + s);
}
public void test2(String s1, String s2){
System.out.println("test String " + s1 + " | String " + s2);
}
public void test(Integer s){
System.out.println("test Integer " + s);
}
SKIP main
test String null
test Integer null
SKIP getParametersArray
test String null | String null
Note : If you need to manage some primitive values, you will need to get the type of the parameter to provide a default value instead of null

Changing the name of the method called dynamically in java

I have an object "JudgesSubmission" with the following methods:
public String getInnovationGrade1() {
return innovationGrade1;
}
public String getInnovationGrade2() {
return innovationGrade2;
}
public String getInnovationGrade3() {
return innovationGrade3;
}
public String getInnovationGrade4() {
return innovationGrade4;
}
Now, when calling these methods, I want to put them in a loop where the called method name gets the index of the loop attached to its end changing the method called. Is this possible?
For example, the following code would never work, but I am writing it to explain what I need:
judgesSubmission metricScores= new judgesSubmission;
int metricSum=0;
for (int i=0;i<4;i++){
metricSum=metricSum
Integer.parseInt(metricScores.getInnovationGrade+"i"());
}
Is there a way to do that or do I always have the full method name written?
What you want to do is not possible... but with reflection such as :
MyObject.class.getMethod("mymethod"+i);
Without reflection you could use a Supplier<String> :
public void process(Supplier<String>... suppliers){
judgesSubmission metricScores= new judgesSubmission;
int metricSum=0;
for (Supplier<String> supplier : suppliers){
Integer.parseInt(supplier.get());
}
}
And call it such as :
MyObject myObject = new MyObject();
process(()->myObject.getInnovationGrade1(),
()->myObject.getInnovationGrade2(),
()->myObject.getInnovationGrade3(),
()->myObject.getInnovationGrade4());
It is not possible without reflection (and is highly not recommended)
Instead you may want to use other methods:
An array of the data (either replacing the 4 methods, or in addition)
String[] getInnovationGrades()
{
return new String[]{innovationGrade1, innovationGrade2, innovationGrade3, innovationGrade4};
}
Then later you can use
for(String innovationGrade : getInnovationGrades())
//do stuff
An argument to get the data you want
String getInnovationGrade(int i)
{
switch(i)
{
case 1:
return getInnovationGrade1();
case 2:
return getInnovationGrade2();
case 3:
return getInnovationGrade3();
case 4:
return getInnovationGrade4();
default:
return ""; //or throw exception, depends on how you wish to handle errors
}
}
Then later you can use
for(int i = 1; i <= 4; i++)
getInnovationGrade(i); //and do stuff with it

What does the following code analysis mean?

I have an object instantiated like the following in only one place in my code(AggregateFunctions).
private String selectColumns() {
String query = "SELECT ";
if (this.distinctResults) {
query = query + "DISTINCT ";
}
SelectColumn selectColumn = new SelectColumn(this);
if (!this.applyAggregation) {
for (Object object : this.columns) {
query = selectColumn.selectColumn(query, object);
}
} else {
AggregateFunctions aggregateFunctions = new AggregateFunctions(this);
query = query + aggregateFunctions.select();
}
//Remove extra ', '
query = query.substring(0, query.length() - 2) + " FROM ";
return query;
}
The constructors:
public AggregateFunctions(#NotNull SqlQueryGenerator sqlQueryGenerator) {
this.spaceEncloser = sqlQueryGenerator.getSpaceEncloser();
this.selectColumn = new SelectColumn(sqlQueryGenerator);
JSONObject formData = sqlQueryGenerator.getFormData();
this.columns = formData.getJSONArray("columns");
this.aggregateJson = formData.getJSONObject("functions").getJSONArray("aggregate");
this.aggregatesList = new ArrayList<Aggregate>();
prepareAggregates();
this.query = new StringBuilder();
}
public SelectColumn(SqlQueryGenerator sqlQueryGenerator) {
this.sqlQueryGenerator = sqlQueryGenerator;
}
But IntelliJ Code Analysis says the following about recursive calls. Basically I didn't understand the meaning. Can anyone elaborate to help me understand?
Problem synopsis
Constructor has usage(s) but they all belong to recursive calls chain that has no members reachable from entry points.   
Problem resolution
Safe delete
Comment out
Add as Entry Point
This is a warning from the Unused declaration inspection. IntelliJ IDEA thinks the constructor is not reachable from any entry points. The constructor is not unused however, but the usages are themselves unreachable.
If this is not the case for your code, it may be a bug in IntelliJ IDEA.
Probably in the constructor of AggregateFunctions in the code that you call you go back to the method selectColumns() in the other class. This way a recurrsion is never going to end.
My guess is that either here
JSONObject formData = sqlQueryGenerator.getFormData();
Or somewhere in here:
this.selectColumn = new SelectColumn(sqlQueryGenerator);
You go to the previous class and to the same method that creates a new aggreggate and a loop is happening.
You call the AggregateFunction with this - which is the same object. But then in the constructor you call methods of this. Check these methods and if any of them has another creation of AggregateFunction object - there is your problem.
I had this issue and it was because the object was not used anywhere else

Casting inner objects in java - unchecked exception

I'm having a problem with inner classes. I build an object (let's say a train) with an inner class representing states (let's say the stops of the train).
I'm trying to run this code:
private void CustomObjectBuilder (String [] origin) {
final int array_dim = origin.length;
InnerCustomObject[] tmp_bin = new InnerCustomObject[array_dim];
for (int ii = 0; ii < array_dim; ii++) {
String debug = extractData(origin[ii]);
tmp_bin[ii].setData(debug);
}
}
It compiles just just fine but at runtime I get a null object exception.
What am I doing wrong?
Here you can finde the original code:
public class CustomObject {
InnerCustomObject [] stops;
public class InnerCustomObject {
String name, station, schedTime, depTime, schedRail, depRail;
public void setData (String origin) {
this.station = origin;
}
}
}
Edit: I solved by calling
CustomObject.InnerCustomObject ico = new CustomObject(). new InnerCustomObject();
why it needs to be so verbose?
Well, the most immediate thing I notice is you don't populate tmp_bin[] with any objects after you declare it. When you first create an array, all it contains are nulls.
So when you do this in your loop:
tmp_bin[ii].setData(debug);
There is nothing to invoke setData() on, resulting in the exception.
Re edit: you can just do
InnerCustomObject ico = this.new InnerCustomObject();
since you're creating them within your outer CustomObject class's CustomObjectBuilder() instance method.
InnerCustomObject[] tmp_bin = new InnerCustomObject[array_dim];
declares an array of array_dim elements but all are null. Then this
tmp_bin[ii].setData(debug);
won't work.
No problem with inner classes only with an object that is null (=NPE) so you cannot call the method setData().
In your loop you have to create new instance of InnerCustomObject. By new InnerCustomObject[size] you do not create new instances.

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