I have developed below code with the intention to remove if else conditions so that code cyclomatic complexity should be less.
For this I have used reflection api and wrote method which takes condition as an argument and called respective method on the condition name basis.
This works fine, I want to know is it a good idea to use reflection (This code) in web application, so that I am free from checking conditions.
For example in below code we have different method with prefix state ex: stateSUBMIT, stateWithdraw etc.
we can call stateSUBMIT method by passing only "SUBMIT".
public class Participate {
public String execute(String methodName) {
String st = null;
try {
Method method = this.getClass().getDeclaredMethod(
"state" + methodName);
method.invoke(this);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return st;
}
public void stateSUBMIT() {
System.out.println("in SUBMIT");
}
public void stateWithdraw() {
System.out.println("in Withdraw");
}
public void state() {
System.out.println("in state ");
}
public void statenull() {
System.out.println("in null ");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Participate p = new Participate();
p.execute("SUBMIT");
}
}
This is valid code, but can be achieved without reflections.
Step One: Define an interface
public interface Command {
public void execute();
}
Step Two: Create Concrete Implementations
public class StateCommand implements Command {
public void execute() {
// Your code.
}
}
Step Three: Add a collection of these to your original class
private Map<String, Command> commands;
Step Four: Populate
public MyClass() {
commands = new HashMap<String, Command>();
commands.put("state", new StateCommand());
}
Get that class and execute
public String callMethod(String name) {
Command command = commands.get(name);
if(command != null) {
command.execute();
}
}
This is just a relatively simple alternative to using reflections, which should be considered as a last resort.
I would avoid it. There are better alternatives. You could pick one of all the numerous web frameworks or you could code something similar without reflection. For example, use a HashMap from the action (SUBMIT, ...) to an object that implements an interface. That way you can call a method with parameters without reflection, which is slow and which provides no compile-time validations. This is not a recommendation (go with a framework!), but it is a better way of doing what you are doing right now.
Your implementation is beneficial in case if you are doing for making this Generic approach for all other other classes in your project.Its good if you are having re usability of this in many other scenarios.
But if its only for specific implementation which is not generalized then there are many simple ways to do this job, because if you will use java reflections than there is some amount of time complexity involved which is comparatively less if you do it without using reflectns.
I am working on a project in java and am quite new to the language and OOP. My dilema is that I want to carry out a task/function from a specific class based on the value of a variable.
This is kind of what I am trying to achieve.
class mainClass{
String option;
public static void main(String[] args) {
mainClass main = new mainClass();
}
mainClass(){
secondClass sC = new secondClass();
thirdClass tC = new thirdClass();
switch (option){
case "1" :
sC.doSomething();
case "2" :
tC.doSomething();
}
}
}
class secondClass{
void doSomething(){
System.out.println("1");
}
}
class thirdClass{
void doSomething(){
System.out.println("2");
}
}
The reason I don't want to do this, is because if I want to add a fourth, fifth, sixth class etc... I would have to update the switch.
I tried using a hashmap. Where I assigned secondClass the key of "1". But then I would have to cast the object, but this brings me back to the original headache of not knowing what class would need to be called in advance.
So then I tried using a hashmap like this,
HashMap<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
Which I could then do map.get("1") but then now I can't call any of the methods for the class in question.
If I need to use a large switch statement I will, but I am actively seeking a more efficient alternative.
You were right to use a Map but you were also right to balk at casting. However, nowadays with generics you can get around all that:
interface DoesSomething {
// An object implementing this interface does something.
public void doSomething();
}
// Class that does something.
class FirstClass implements DoesSomething {
#Override
public void doSomething() {
// What FirstClass does.
}
}
// Another class that does something.
class SecondClass implements DoesSomething {
#Override
public void doSomething() {
// What SecondClass does.
}
}
// How I know what to do. Map the string to a DoesSomethng.
Map<String, DoesSomething> whatToDo = new HashMap<>();
{
// Populate my map.
whatToDo.put("1", new FirstClass());
whatToDo.put("2", new SecondClass());
}
public void doSomethingDependingOnSomething(String something) {
// Look up the string in the map.
DoesSomething toDo = whatToDo.get(something);
// Was it in there?
if (toDo != null) {
// Yes! Make it do it's thing.
toDo.doSomething();
}
}
If you want to avoid using Reflection (wich is discouraged here), you should consider a simple SAM-Interface:
public interface Doable { public void doSomething(); }
and have all classes implement the interface (no other changes required in these classes) and having a Map<String, Doable> and calling
if (map.containsKey(option)) map.get(option).doSomething();
// Or (may be a little faster)
Doable opt = map.get(option);
if (opt != null) opt.doSomething();
If your implementations have different methods, you'll most likely be bound to use Reflection to get the declared methods and compare by String.
There is a recurring pattern when I have for example an enum or a String and I want to dispatch based on the value of that parameter:
public void myMethod(String parameter) {
if(parameter.equals(something)) {
doSomething();
} else if(parameter.equals(somethingElse)) {
doSomethingElse();
}
}
What is the idiomatic way to get rid of the lengthy if or case statements? I'm thinking about something like the single dispatch generic functions in python but I want to dispatch based on value not on type.
#fun.register(int)
def _(arg, verbose=False):
if verbose:
print("Strength in numbers, eh?", end=" ")
print(arg)
#fun.register(list)
def _(arg, verbose=False):
if verbose:
print("Enumerate this:")
for i, elem in enumerate(arg):
print(i, elem)
I find that this is most common when dealing with forms (as an example) that have multiple "actions". Although this may seem overkill, a lot of times it's actually much cleaner (and in many ways, easier) to simply "register" action handlers.
public class Dispatcher {
private Map<String, ActionHandler> actionHandlerMap = new HashMap<String, ActionHandler>();
public void perform(String action) {
ActionHandler handler = actionHandlerMap.get(action);
if (null == handler) {
// no handler - throw an exception?
}
handler.execute();
}
public void addActionHandler(ActionHandler handler) {
actionHandlerMap.put(handler.getAction(), handler);
}
}
public interface ActionHandler {
public String getAction();
public void execute();
}
It is absolutely more code, but it's extensible, clean, and allows for a better separation of concerns. It's also much more easily testable which is always a good thing.
you could use method overriding in java.. so the equivalent should be something like
public void doSomething(String arg) {
//do something when param is string
}
public void doSomething(List<String> arg) {
//do something else when param is a List of String
}
In Java enum is a class as well, so you could extextend it and use it as :
interface Doable {
void doSomething();
}
enum Stuff implements Doable {
ONE() {
public doSomething() { System.out.println("do one");};
},
TWO() {
public doSomething() { System.out.println("do two");};
}
}
Doable s = Stuff.valueOf("ONE");
s.doSomething();
I want a hard reference class in my Java code, but, of course, there isn't one. Is there some other way to do what I want, or should I make my own class?
This comes up with anonymous classes in methods where I want the anonymous class to set the return value for the method.
For example, given
interface Greeting {
void greet();
}
I want code like the following:
// Does not compile
static void hello(final String who) {
String returnValue;
Greeting hello = new Greeting() {
public void greet() {
returnValue = "hello" + who;
}
};
hello.greet();
System.out.println(returnValue);
}
I can fake it using a list:
static void hello(final String who) {
final List<String> returnValue = new ArrayList<String>();
Greeting hello = new Greeting() {
public void greet() {
returnValue.add("hello" + who);
}
};
hello.greet();
System.out.println(returnValue.iterator().next());
}
But I want to not use a list. I can write a StrongReference class that solves this:
static class StrongReference<T> {
private T referent;
public void set(T referent) {
this.referent = referent;
}
public T get() {
return referent;
}
}
which makes my method clearer:
static void hello(final String who) {
final StrongReference<String> returnValue = new StrongReference<String>();
Greeting hello = new Greeting() {
public void greet() {
returnValue.set("hello" + who);
}
};
hello.greet();
System.out.println(returnValue.get());
}
For my contrived example, I could have greet() return a String, but I'm working with much more complex classes, where the setting is deep within a database call that the base class manages. The instances have many different types they want to return, so I've just been using the List trick.
My questions are: Is there a better way to do this? What's wrong with my StrongReference class? Has anyone written a StrongReference in a library somewhere?
If you want something from the standard API, perhaps an AtomicReference would do?
It has void set(V value) and a V get() methods. Unless you have multiple threads involved, just see the synchronization mechanism as a bonus ;-)
A common idiom
final String[] result = { null };
result[0] = ...;
Looks good but I think you should make some kind of synchronization since another thread might set the value.
I am looking for a way to pass a method by reference. I understand that Java does not pass methods as parameters, however, I would like to get an alternative.
I've been told interfaces are the alternative to passing methods as parameters but I don't understand how an interface can act as a method by reference. If I understand correctly an interface is simply an abstract set of methods that are not defined. I don't want to send an interface that needs to be defined every time because several different methods could call the same method with the same parameters.
What I would like to accomplish is something similar to this:
public void setAllComponents(Component[] myComponentArray, Method myMethod) {
for (Component leaf : myComponentArray) {
if (leaf instanceof Container) { //recursive call if Container
Container node = (Container) leaf;
setAllComponents(node.getComponents(), myMethod);
} //end if node
myMethod(leaf);
} //end looping through components
}
invoked such as:
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), changeColor());
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), changeSize());
Edit: as of Java 8, lambda expressions are a nice solution as other answers have pointed out. The answer below was written for Java 7 and earlier...
Take a look at the command pattern.
// NOTE: code not tested, but I believe this is valid java...
public class CommandExample
{
public interface Command
{
public void execute(Object data);
}
public class PrintCommand implements Command
{
public void execute(Object data)
{
System.out.println(data.toString());
}
}
public static void callCommand(Command command, Object data)
{
command.execute(data);
}
public static void main(String... args)
{
callCommand(new PrintCommand(), "hello world");
}
}
Edit: as Pete Kirkham points out, there's another way of doing this using a Visitor. The visitor approach is a little more involved - your nodes all need to be visitor-aware with an acceptVisitor() method - but if you need to traverse a more complex object graph then it's worth examining.
In Java 8, you can now pass a method more easily using Lambda Expressions and Method References. First, some background: a functional interface is an interface that has one and only one abstract method, although it can contain any number of default methods (new in Java 8) and static methods. A lambda expression can quickly implement the abstract method, without all the unnecessary syntax needed if you don't use a lambda expression.
Without lambda expressions:
obj.aMethod(new AFunctionalInterface() {
#Override
public boolean anotherMethod(int i)
{
return i == 982
}
});
With lambda expressions:
obj.aMethod(i -> i == 982);
Here is an excerpt from the Java tutorial on Lambda Expressions:
Syntax of Lambda Expressions
A lambda expression consists of the following:
A comma-separated list of formal parameters enclosed in parentheses. The CheckPerson.test method contains one parameter, p,
which represents an instance of the Person class.Note: You
can omit the data type of the parameters in a lambda expression. In
addition, you can omit the parentheses if there is only one parameter.
For example, the following lambda expression is also valid:
p -> p.getGender() == Person.Sex.MALE
&& p.getAge() >= 18
&& p.getAge() <= 25
The arrow token, ->
A body, which consists of a single expression or a statement block. This example uses the following expression:
p.getGender() == Person.Sex.MALE
&& p.getAge() >= 18
&& p.getAge() <= 25
If you specify a single expression, then the Java runtime evaluates the expression and then returns its value. Alternatively,
you can use a return statement:
p -> {
return p.getGender() == Person.Sex.MALE
&& p.getAge() >= 18
&& p.getAge() <= 25;
}
A return statement is not an expression; in a lambda expression, you must enclose statements in braces ({}). However, you do not have
to enclose a void method invocation in braces. For example, the
following is a valid lambda expression:
email -> System.out.println(email)
Note that a lambda expression looks a lot like a method declaration;
you can consider lambda expressions as anonymous methods—methods
without a name.
Here is how you can "pass a method" using a lambda expression:
interface I {
public void myMethod(Component component);
}
class A {
public void changeColor(Component component) {
// code here
}
public void changeSize(Component component) {
// code here
}
}
class B {
public void setAllComponents(Component[] myComponentArray, I myMethodsInterface) {
for(Component leaf : myComponentArray) {
if(leaf instanceof Container) { // recursive call if Container
Container node = (Container)leaf;
setAllComponents(node.getComponents(), myMethodInterface);
} // end if node
myMethodsInterface.myMethod(leaf);
} // end looping through components
}
}
class C {
A a = new A();
B b = new B();
public C() {
b.setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), component -> a.changeColor(component));
b.setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), component -> a.changeSize(component));
}
}
Class C can be shortened even a bit further by the use of method references like so:
class C {
A a = new A();
B b = new B();
public C() {
b.setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), a::changeColor);
b.setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), a::changeSize);
}
}
Since Java 8 there is a Function<T, R> interface (docs), which has method
R apply(T t);
You can use it to pass functions as parameters to other functions. T is the input type of the function, R is the return type.
In your example you need to pass a function that takes Component type as an input and returns nothing - Void. In this case Function<T, R> is not the best choice, since there is no autoboxing of Void type. The interface you are looking for is called Consumer<T> (docs) with method
void accept(T t);
It would look like this:
public void setAllComponents(Component[] myComponentArray, Consumer<Component> myMethod) {
for (Component leaf : myComponentArray) {
if (leaf instanceof Container) {
Container node = (Container) leaf;
setAllComponents(node.getComponents(), myMethod);
}
myMethod.accept(leaf);
}
}
And you would call it using method references:
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), this::changeColor);
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), this::changeSize);
Assuming that you have defined changeColor() and changeSize() methods in the same class.
If your method happens to accept more than one parameter, you can use BiFunction<T, U, R> - T and U being types of input parameters and R being return type. There is also BiConsumer<T, U> (two arguments, no return type). Unfortunately for 3 and more input parameters, you have to create an interface by yourself. For example:
public interface Function4<A, B, C, D, R> {
R apply(A a, B b, C c, D d);
}
Use the java.lang.reflect.Method object and call invoke
First define an Interface with the method you want to pass as a parameter
public interface Callable {
public void call(int param);
}
Implement a class with the method
class Test implements Callable {
public void call(int param) {
System.out.println( param );
}
}
// Invoke like that
Callable cmd = new Test();
This allows you to pass cmd as parameter and invoke the method call defined in the interface
public invoke( Callable callable ) {
callable.call( 5 );
}
While this is not yet valid for Java 7 and below, I believe that we should look to the future and at least recognize the changes to come in new versions such as Java 8.
Namely, this new version brings lambdas and method references to Java (along with new APIs, which are another valid solution to this problem. While they still require an interface no new objects are created, and extra classfiles need not pollute output directories due to different handling by the JVM.
Both flavors(lambda and method reference) require an interface available with a single method whose signature is used:
public interface NewVersionTest{
String returnAString(Object oIn, String str);
}
Names of methods will not matter from here on. Where a lambda is accepted, a method reference is as well. For example, to use our signature here:
public static void printOutput(NewVersionTest t, Object o, String s){
System.out.println(t.returnAString(o, s));
}
This is just a simple interface invocation, up until the lambda1 gets passed:
public static void main(String[] args){
printOutput( (Object oIn, String sIn) -> {
System.out.println("Lambda reached!");
return "lambda return";
}
);
}
This will output:
Lambda reached!
lambda return
Method references are similar. Given:
public class HelperClass{
public static String testOtherSig(Object o, String s){
return "real static method";
}
}
and main:
public static void main(String[] args){
printOutput(HelperClass::testOtherSig);
}
the output would be real static method. Method references can be static, instance, non-static with arbitrary instances, and even constructors. For the constructor something akin to ClassName::new would be used.
1 This is not considered a lambda by some, as it has side effects. It does illustrate, however, the use of one in a more straightforward-to-visualize fashion.
Last time I checked, Java is not capable of natively doing what you want; you have to use 'work-arounds' to get around such limitations. As far as I see it, interfaces ARE an alternative, but not a good alternative. Perhaps whoever told you that was meaning something like this:
public interface ComponentMethod {
public abstract void PerfromMethod(Container c);
}
public class ChangeColor implements ComponentMethod {
#Override
public void PerfromMethod(Container c) {
// do color change stuff
}
}
public class ChangeSize implements ComponentMethod {
#Override
public void PerfromMethod(Container c) {
// do color change stuff
}
}
public void setAllComponents(Component[] myComponentArray, ComponentMethod myMethod) {
for (Component leaf : myComponentArray) {
if (leaf instanceof Container) { //recursive call if Container
Container node = (Container) leaf;
setAllComponents(node.getComponents(), myMethod);
} //end if node
myMethod.PerfromMethod(leaf);
} //end looping through components
}
Which you'd then invoke with:
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), new ChangeColor());
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), new ChangeSize());
If you don't need these methods to return something, you could make them return Runnable objects.
private Runnable methodName (final int arg) {
return (new Runnable() {
public void run() {
// do stuff with arg
}
});
}
Then use it like:
private void otherMethodName (Runnable arg){
arg.run();
}
Java-8 onwards
Java 8 onwards, you can provide the implementation of the abstract method of a functional interface (an interface that has only one abstract method) using a lambda expression and pass the same to a method as a parameter.
#FunctionalInterface
interface ArithmeticFunction {
public int calcualate(int a, int b);
}
public class Main {
public static void main(String args[]) {
ArithmeticFunction addition = (a, b) -> a + b;
ArithmeticFunction subtraction = (a, b) -> a - b;
int a = 20, b = 5;
System.out.println(perform(addition, a, b));
// or
System.out.println(perform((x, y) -> x + y, a, b));
System.out.println(perform(subtraction, a, b));
// or
System.out.println(perform((x, y) -> x - y, a, b));
}
static int perform(ArithmeticFunction function, int a, int b) {
return function.calcualate(a, b);
}
}
Output:
25
25
15
15
ONLINE DEMO
Learn more about it from Method References.
I didn't find any example explicit enough for me on how to use java.util.function.Function for simple method as parameter function. Here is a simple example:
import java.util.function.Function;
public class Foo {
private Foo(String parameter) {
System.out.println("I'm a Foo " + parameter);
}
public static Foo method(final String parameter) {
return new Foo(parameter);
}
private static Function parametrisedMethod(Function<String, Foo> function) {
return function;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
parametrisedMethod(Foo::method).apply("from a method");
}
}
Basically you have a Foo object with a default constructor. A method that will be called as a parameter from the parametrisedMethod which is of type Function<String, Foo>.
Function<String, Foo> means that the function takes a String as parameter and return a Foo.
The Foo::Method correspond to a lambda like x -> Foo.method(x);
parametrisedMethod(Foo::method) could be seen as x -> parametrisedMethod(Foo.method(x))
The .apply("from a method") is basically to do parametrisedMethod(Foo.method("from a method"))
Which will then return in the output:
>> I'm a Foo from a method
The example should be running as is, you can then try more complicated stuff from the above answers with different classes and interfaces.
Java do have a mechanism to pass name and call it. It is part of the reflection mechanism.
Your function should take additional parameter of class Method.
public void YouMethod(..... Method methodToCall, Object objWithAllMethodsToBeCalled)
{
...
Object retobj = methodToCall.invoke(objWithAllMethodsToBeCalled, arglist);
...
}
I did not found any solution here that show how to pass method with parameters bound to it as a parameter of a method. Bellow is example of how you can pass a method with parameter values already bound to it.
Step 1: Create two interfaces one with return type, another without. Java has similar interfaces but they are of little practical use because they do not support Exception throwing.
public interface Do {
void run() throws Exception;
}
public interface Return {
R run() throws Exception;
}
Example of how we use both interfaces to wrap method call in transaction. Note that we pass method with actual parameters.
//example - when passed method does not return any value
public void tx(final Do func) throws Exception {
connectionScope.beginTransaction();
try {
func.run();
connectionScope.commit();
} catch (Exception e) {
connectionScope.rollback();
throw e;
} finally {
connectionScope.close();
}
}
//Invoke code above by
tx(() -> api.delete(6));
Another example shows how to pass a method that actually returns something
public R tx(final Return func) throws Exception {
R r=null;
connectionScope.beginTransaction();
try {
r=func.run();
connectionScope.commit();
} catch (Exception e) {
connectionScope.rollback();
throw e;
} finally {
connectionScope.close();
}
return r;
}
//Invoke code above by
Object x= tx(() -> api.get(id));
Example of solution with reflection, passed method must be public
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
public class Program {
int i;
public static void main(String[] args) {
Program obj = new Program(); //some object
try {
Method method = obj.getClass().getMethod("target");
repeatMethod( 5, obj, method );
}
catch ( NoSuchMethodException | IllegalAccessException | InvocationTargetException e) {
System.out.println( e );
}
}
static void repeatMethod (int times, Object object, Method method)
throws IllegalAccessException, InvocationTargetException {
for (int i=0; i<times; i++)
method.invoke(object);
}
public void target() { //public is necessary
System.out.println("target(): "+ ++i);
}
}
Use the Observer pattern (sometimes also called Listener pattern):
interface ComponentDelegate {
void doSomething(Component component);
}
public void setAllComponents(Component[] myComponentArray, ComponentDelegate delegate) {
// ...
delegate.doSomething(leaf);
}
setAllComponents(this.getComponents(), new ComponentDelegate() {
void doSomething(Component component) {
changeColor(component); // or do directly what you want
}
});
new ComponentDelegate()... declares an anonymous type implementing the interface.
Here is a basic example:
public class TestMethodPassing
{
private static void println()
{
System.out.println("Do println");
}
private static void print()
{
System.out.print("Do print");
}
private static void performTask(BasicFunctionalInterface functionalInterface)
{
functionalInterface.performTask();
}
#FunctionalInterface
interface BasicFunctionalInterface
{
void performTask();
}
public static void main(String[] arguments)
{
performTask(TestMethodPassing::println);
performTask(TestMethodPassing::print);
}
}
Output:
Do println
Do print
I'm not a java expert but I solve your problem like this:
#FunctionalInterface
public interface AutoCompleteCallable<T> {
String call(T model) throws Exception;
}
I define the parameter in my special Interface
public <T> void initialize(List<T> entries, AutoCompleteCallable getSearchText) {.......
//call here
String value = getSearchText.call(item);
...
}
Finally, I implement getSearchText method while calling initialize method.
initialize(getMessageContactModelList(), new AutoCompleteCallable() {
#Override
public String call(Object model) throws Exception {
return "custom string" + ((xxxModel)model.getTitle());
}
})
I appreciate the answers above but I was able to achieve the same behavior using the method below; an idea borrowed from Javascript callbacks. I'm open to correction though so far so good (in production).
The idea is to use the return type of the function in the signature, meaning that the yield has to be static.
Below is a function that runs a process with a timeout.
public static void timeoutFunction(String fnReturnVal) {
Object p = null; // whatever object you need here
String threadSleeptime = null;
Config config;
try {
config = ConfigReader.getConfigProperties();
threadSleeptime = config.getThreadSleepTime();
} catch (Exception e) {
log.error(e);
log.error("");
log.error("Defaulting thread sleep time to 105000 miliseconds.");
log.error("");
threadSleeptime = "100000";
}
ExecutorService executor = Executors.newCachedThreadPool();
Callable<Object> task = new Callable<Object>() {
public Object call() {
// Do job here using --- fnReturnVal --- and return appropriate value
return null;
}
};
Future<Object> future = executor.submit(task);
try {
p = future.get(Integer.parseInt(threadSleeptime), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
} catch (Exception e) {
log.error(e + ". The function timed out after [" + threadSleeptime
+ "] miliseconds before a response was received.");
} finally {
// if task has started then don't stop it
future.cancel(false);
}
}
private static String returnString() {
return "hello";
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
timeoutFunction(returnString());
}