com.google.inject
Class TypeLiteral<T>

java.lang.Object
  extended by com.google.inject.TypeLiteral<T>

public abstract class TypeLiteral<T>
extends Object

Represents a generic type T. Java doesn't yet provide a way to represent generic types, so this class does. Forces clients to create a subclass of this class which enables retrieval the type information even at runtime.

For example, to create a type literal for List<String>, you can create an empty anonymous inner class:

TypeLiteral<List<String>> list = new TypeLiteral<List<String>>() {};

Assumes that type T implements Object.equals(java.lang.Object) and Object.hashCode() as value (as opposed to identity) comparison.


Constructor Summary
protected TypeLiteral()
          Constructs a new type literal.
 
Method Summary
 boolean equals(Object o)
           
static
<T> TypeLiteral<T>
get(Class<T> type)
          Gets type literal for the given Class instance.
static TypeLiteral<?> get(Type type)
          Gets type literal for the given Type instance.
 Type getType()
          Gets underlying Type instance.
 int hashCode()
           
 String toString()
           
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

TypeLiteral

protected TypeLiteral()
Constructs a new type literal. Derives represented class from type parameter.

Clients create an empty anonymous subclass. Doing so embeds the type parameter in the anonymous class's type hierarchy so we can reconstitute it at runtime despite erasure.

Method Detail

getType

public Type getType()
Gets underlying Type instance.


hashCode

public int hashCode()
Overrides:
hashCode in class Object

equals

public boolean equals(Object o)
Overrides:
equals in class Object

toString

public String toString()
Overrides:
toString in class Object

get

public static TypeLiteral<?> get(Type type)
Gets type literal for the given Type instance.


get

public static <T> TypeLiteral<T> get(Class<T> type)
Gets type literal for the given Class instance.



Copyright 2007 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved.