CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javareflection
TimFoolery
TimFoolery

Reputation: 1925

How can I get the .class value of an array of classes?

Let's say I have an object called thisObject, which may be an int, String, Object, etc., or an array of such classes. I would like the resulting class to be stored in a Class variable called thisObjectArrayClass.

This won't compile, but will hopefully explain what I'm looking for:

switch(thisObject.class) {
    case int.class:
        int[] tempObject;
        thisObjectArrayClass = tempObject.class;
        break;
    case float.class:
        float[] tempObject;
        thisObjectArrayClass = tempObject.class;
        break;
    case int[].class:
        int[][] tempObject;
        thisObjectArrayClass = tempObject.class;
        break;
}

The problem with this is that it relies on a switch/case statement, which is obviously unacceptable. My attempts to do this using reflection failed, but I'm new to Java, so perhaps I did something wrong. How can this be achieved?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 233

Answers (4)

Matt
Matt

Reputation: 11805

int array[] = new int[7];
array.getClass();

Upvotes: -2

Chase
Chase

Reputation: 3183

You can only switch on integers (or Strings in Java7). Either use an if/else sequence or a switch in 7. Either way the method you are probably looking for is thisObject.getClass()

switch(obj.getClass().getName()) {
    case "java.lang.String" :
        System.out.println("Found String");
        break;
    default:
        System.out.println("Found:" + obj.getClass().getName());
}

Upvotes: -1

Girish Rao
Girish Rao

Reputation: 2669

Object has a getClass() method.

public Class getClass(Object thisObject) {  
    Class thisObjectArrayClass = obj.getClass();  
    System.out.println("The type of the object is: " + thisObjectArrayClass.getName());  
    return thisObjectArrayClass;
}

Upvotes: 1

K-ballo
K-ballo

Reputation: 81349

You are looking for Array.newInstance:

thisObjectArrayClass = Array.newInstance(thisObject.class, 0).getClass();

This instantiates a 0-length array of thisObject.classes, and requests the class of such object.

Upvotes: 7

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