Java Pattern to build object where any one field must be set? - java

I need to build objects of a class which has 3 fields: A, B and C. A valid object has at least one of A, B or C set by the user. I looked into the Builder Pattern, which is close to what I want, but only 1 field is made mandatory. I want that 1 field which must be set to be any one of the 3 that I have. Any suggestions?
My alternative is to use 7 constructors (for {A}, {B}, {C}, {A,B}, {B,C}, {A,C}, {A,B,C})

You can use a builder for that. Short example with only two fields instead of three:
public final class MyBuilder
{
private X a, b;
public MyBuilder withA(X a)
{
b = null;
this.a = a;
return this;
}
public MyBuilder withB(X b)
{
a = null;
this.b = b;
return this;
}
public MyClass build()
{
if (a == null && b == null)
barf(); // <-- throw exception here
// A and B inherit MyClass
return a != null ? new A(a) : new B(b);
}
}

You can force A, B, or C to be passed in the build() method:
class ValidBuilder {
public ValidBuilder withA(Object a) {}
public ValidBuilder withB(Object b) {}
public ValidBuilder withC(Object c) {}
public ValidObject buildA(Object a) { }
public ValidObject buildB(Object b) { }
public ValidObject buildC(Object c) { }
}

Related

Function the uses an object relying in two different packages

I have the sama java object TestData in to packages (A & B). I have made a function that processes the object for a standard business functionality.
CommonFunc.java:
import A.TestData ;
class CommonFunc
{
/// .....
public static TestData processTestData(Date d1, String s1){
TestData testData = new TestData ();
/// set some testData porperties based on d1 and s1
/// e.g : testData.setInitialDate(d1);
return testData ;
}
}
The problem here is that the compiler has to load the object from one of the packages lets say package (A), so when I expect the data to be returned to a local variable from package (B) I get incompatible type error :
File using B TestData and needs to call the function processTestData:
import B.TestData;
// ...
TestData obj = CommonFunc.processTestData(new Date(), "test");
// ...
Is there a way to overcome this problem keeping a common function for both?
Is there a way to overcome this problem keeping a common function for both?
No and yes. On the general case, you cannot.
But you can, IFF you can make the two classes adopt the same interface, with the common methods declared in the same interface. See below, with apologies for the change in the class names:
interface C {
public Date getA();
public void setA(Date a);
}
interface C_Factory <X extends C> {
X createInstance();
}
class C1 implements C {
Date a;
int b;
public C1() {
super();
}
public Date getA() { return a; }
public void setA(Date a) { this.a = a; }
public int getB() { return b; }
public void setB(int b) { this.b = b; }
}
class C2 implements C {
Date a;
float b;
public C2() {
super();
}
public Date getA() { return a; }
public void setA(Date a) { this.a = a; }
public float getB() { return b; }
public void setB(float b) { this.b = b; }
}
public class CommonFunc {
// You need this extra param to create instances----
// V
static <X extends C> X doSomething(Date d, Class<X> clazz)
throws InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException
// You'll have to accept those exceptions as well
{
// the next statement uses clazz as a factory for new X instances
// As such, you can abstract the method further and use
// a custom Factory class instead.
X toret=clazz.newInstance();
toret.setA(d);
// something else
return toret;
}
// A custom factory variant of the above
static <X extends C> X doSomething(Date d, C_Factory<X> factory)
{
X toret=factory.createInstance();
toret.setA(d);
// something else
return toret;
}
static public void main(String[] args) {
try {
C1 c1=doSomething(new Date(), C1.class);
C2 c2=doSomething(new Date(), C2.class);
} catch (InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException e) {
// Should not happen
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
I do not see how it is possible in the above example you have posted, The best way out is to make the TestData an interface and have implementations in 2 packages. Then, to decide whether to return A TestDataImpl or B TestDataImpl, take another parameter in the processData, for simplicity, let us say a boolean. Based on true or false instantiate A TestDataImpl or B TestDataImpl and return the same. Where the return type of processData is the interface type
This is probably would be the most straightforward way of reusing the processData method.

Cast parent to its child

I have:
class A
{
public String getID() { return "id of A";}
}
class B extends A
{
public String getID() { return "id of B"; }
}
and
class C {
public A returnA() {
return new A();
}
}
Now I somehow need to do:
C c = new C();
B b = (B)c.returnA();
String id = b.getId();
But I don't have access to implementation of C.returnA(), and I can't change return type of it to B.
You are casting a parent into a children.
You can never do that, because new A() is absolutely not a B.
Consider this: String extends Object. Now try to cast (String) new Object(). It wouldn't make any sense at all.
Because your object is not a B anyway, there is no way it could have the behavior of B.
What you want here is use a Decorator Pattern. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorator_pattern
Here is an example of what a implementation of a Decorator could be:
public class B extends A {
private A decorated;
public B(A decorated) {
this.decorated = decorated;
}
#Override
public String getID() {
return "id of B";
}
#Override
public void otherMethodOfA() {
return decorated.otherMethodOfA();
}
}
Note that it is mandatory to override all methods of A to make sure you call the method on the decorated element. (here otherMethodOfA is an example)
Use like this:
C c = new C();
B b = new B(c.returnA());
String id = b.getID();
That won't work. c.returnA() returns an A. An A is not a B. (A B is an A, but that's not relevant here).
The answer of njzk2 is perfect. Anyway, if you ended up reading this post and like me, you don't like overriding every method, you can just do this:
public class B extends A {
public B(A nonDecorated) {
this.anotherValueOfA = nonDecorated.getAnotherValueOfA();
}
#Override
public String getID() {
return "id of B";
}
}
There is no need to override every method and the object is constructed with the values from its parent.
This is, of course, assuming class A is:
class A {
private int anotherValueOfA;
public String getID() {return "id of A";}
public int getAnotherValueOfA() {return this.anotherValueOfA;}
}

How to initialize a circular dependency (final fields referencing each other)?

How do you initialize this:
class A {
final B b;
A(B b) {
this.b = b;
}
}
class B {
final A a;
B(A a) {
this.a = a;
}
}
DI framework, reflection, better design?
Motivation and a use case (added):
My particular use case is simplifying field access in A's and B's sub-classes. So I'm injecting them to shortly reference them by fields in the derived classes without a need to declare explicitly in each sub-class.
There is also a recommendation on DI that objects should better be immutable: Guice best practices and anti-patterns.
You could use a factory method
class A {
final B b;
A(B b) {
this.b = b;
}
}
abstract class B {
final A a;
B() {
this.a = constructA();
}
protected abstract A constructA();
}
public class C {
public static void main(String []args){
new B(){
protected A constructA(){
return new A(this);
}
};
}
}
Though it may look dirty, but I prefer to replace one of the final references with Supplier (like one in Guava or Java 8) like:
class A {
final Supplier<B> b;
A(Supplier<B> b) {
this.b = b;
}
// keeping this constructor just for usability's sake
A(B b) {
this.b = ofInstance(b); // using Guava's Suppliers.ofInstance here
}
}
class B {
final A a;
B(A a) {
this.a = a;
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
// using MutableSupplier.create() static factory method
MutableSupplier<B> bRef = create();
A a = new A(bRef);
B b = bRef.set(new B(a));
}
where MutableSupplier looks somehow like the following:
import com.google.common.base.Supplier;
public class MutableSupplier<T> implements Supplier<T> {
private boolean valueWasSet;
private T value;
private MutableSupplier() {
}
#Override
public T get() {
if (!valueWasSet) {
throw new NullPointerException("Value has not been set yet");
}
return value;
}
public T set(final T value) {
if (valueWasSet) {
throw new IllegalStateException("Value has already been set and should not be reset");
}
this.value = value;
this.valueWasSet = true;
return value;
}
public static <T> MutableSupplier<T> create() {
return new MutableSupplier<T>();
}
}
I know that MutableSupplier's mutability looks super-ugly for immutability enthusiasts but I found that using it is more or less acceptable in such cases :)
What you are having is a circular dependency. The only way I can think of is to not declare the fields as final and have your dependency injected using setter injection instead of constructor injection.
A a = new A();
B b = new B();
a.setB(b);
b.setA(a);

How do I control visibility to field in my Java classes?

How can I differentially control access to members of any class? Let's say I have three classes:-
Class A
{
int a;
int b;
}
Class B
{
Access to only 'a' and not 'b'
}
Class C
{
Access to only 'b' and not 'a'
}
One way would be to use aspect-oriented programming. You can check to see the accessing package or class and prohibit access.
AspectJ can be used to enforce that classes in the persistence tier are not accessed in the web tier, only from the service tier. Here's an example:
http://blog.jayway.com/2010/03/28/architectural-enforcement-with-aid-of-aspectj/
Interface time:
interface IHaveA { int a {get;set;} }
interface IHaveB { int b {get;set;} }
Class A : IHaveA, IHaveB
{
public int a {get;set;}
public int b {get; set;}
}
Class B
{
IHaveA _iHaveA;
C(IHaveA iHaveA)
{
_iHaveA = iHaveA;
}
}
Class C
{
IHaveB _iHaveB;
C(IHaveB iHaveB)
{
_iHaveB = iHaveB;
}
}
Then new up B and C like this:
static Main()
{
A a = new A();
B b = new B(a);
C c = new C(a);
}
Here is a really crude idea.
Have A have a function to take an observer derived from B, and another function to take an observer derived from A.
class A
{
int a;
int b;
void getAObserver(B bInstance);
void getBObserver(C cInstance);
}
Then have A can call functions such as aWasUpdated or bWasUpdated on the instances make the member a and b sort of psuedo public to the specific classes.
A really crude way of implementing this would be
Class A {
private int a ;
private int b ;
public int getA( Object obj) throws userDefinedIllegalAccessException {
//check if obj isInstance of B
// If yes return a
// else throw userDefinedIllegalAccessException
}
public int getB( Object obj) throws userDefinedIllegalAccessException {
//check if obj isInstance of c
// If yes return b
// else throw userDefinedIllegalAccessException
}
}
class B {
public void checkAccessValue() {
try{
A objA = new A() ;
System.out.println(objA.getA(this) ;
System.out.println(objA.getB(this) ;
}
catch(userDefinedIllegalAccessException udException){
}
}
}
class C {
public void checkAccessValue() {
try{
A objA = new A() ;
System.out.println(objA.getA(this) ;
System.out.println(objA.getB(this) ;
}
catch(userDefinedIllegalAccessException udException){
}
}
}

Java: how does a component know its owner

Suppose I have a class A and a class B.
public class A {
private B b;
public A() {
this.b = new B();
}
public B getB() {
return this.b;
}
}
public class B {
public String getSome() {
return "Get some!";
}
}
I know I can get B through A, because A has (or owns) B: new A().getB().
But if I have B, can I get A?
Sure, just add routine getA() in you class B, and change the line in your constructor to
public A() {
this.b = new B(this);
}
This of course assumes your class B has a constructor which accepts an A, e.g.,
public B(A a) {
this.a = a;
}
B needs an explicit reference to its owner:
public class B {
private final A owner;
public B(A owner) {
this.owner = owner;
}
public A getOwner() {
return owner;
}
}
And in A:
public A() {
b = new B(this);
}
Nope. There is no such thing as an 'owner' in Java. Any object can be referenced by any number of other objects.
If you need B to always be bound to an instance of A, make B an inner class of A:
class A {
B b = new B();
class B {
String getSome() {
// this will refer to the enclosing A
return A.this.toString();
}
}
}
An inner (non-static) class always has an implicit reference to the enclosing instance and cannot exist without it. In order to instantiate B from outside, you need a nasty syntax: B b = new A().new B();
No you cannot. B has no reference to A.
No.
Class a has reference to class B, but class B has no reference to class A. References are one way only.
No, that's not possible. You're looking for backreferences, but we have to create them in the code if needed.
If you want to collect all referencers to B, you could do this with a constructor or with a factory (pattern) that creates B's. I'll show the factory:
public class B {
private static Set<? extends Object> referencers = new HashSet<? extends Object>();
private B(){} // no public constructor
public static create(Object parent) {
// cooperative approach, the caller should pass "this"
referencers.add(parent);
}
public static remove(Object parent) {
referencers.remove(parent);
}
}
you can also use inner classes
package test;
public class A {
B b = null;
public B getB()
{
return b;
}
public class B {
public A getA()
{
return A.this;
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
B b = new A().new B();
}
}

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