Class AttributeLabel

  • All Implemented Interfaces:
    Label

    class AttributeLabel
    extends TemplateLabel
    The AttributeLabel object is used convert any value retrieved from an XML attribute to a primitive object. This is also used to convert from a primitive object to an XML attribute using the String.valueOf method.
    • Field Summary

      Fields 
      Modifier and Type Field Description
      private Decorator decorator
      This is the decorator that is associated with the attribute.
      private Introspector detail
      This contains the details of the annotated contact object.
      private java.lang.String empty
      This is the default value to use if the real value is null.
      private Format format
      This is the format that is used to style the path.
      private Attribute label
      Represents the annotation used to label the field.
      private java.lang.String name
      This is the name of the element for this label instance.
      private Expression path
      This is the path that is used to represent this attribute.
      private boolean required
      This is used to determine if the attribute is required.
      private java.lang.Class type
      This is the type that the field object references.
    • Method Summary

      All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods 
      Modifier and Type Method Description
      java.lang.annotation.Annotation getAnnotation()
      This acquires the annotation associated with this label.
      Contact getContact()
      This is used to acquire the contact object for this label.
      Converter getConverter​(Context context)
      Creates a Converter that can convert an attribute to a primitive object.
      Decorator getDecorator()
      This is used to acquire the Decorator for this.
      java.lang.String getEmpty​(Context context)
      This is used to provide a configured empty value used when the annotated value is null.
      Expression getExpression()
      This method is used to return an XPath expression that is used to represent the position of this label.
      java.lang.String getName()
      This is used to acquire the name of the element or attribute that is used by the class schema.
      java.lang.String getOverride()
      This is used to acquire the name of the element or attribute as taken from the annotation.
      java.lang.String getPath()
      This is used to acquire the path of the element or attribute that is used by the class schema.
      java.lang.Class getType()
      This acts as a convenience method used to determine the type of the contact this represents.
      boolean isAttribute()
      This method is used to determine if the label represents an attribute.
      boolean isData()
      Because the attribute can contain only simple text values it is never required to specified as anything other than text.
      boolean isRequired()
      This is used to determine whether the attribute is required.
      java.lang.String toString()
      This is used to describe the annotation and method or field that this label represents.
      • Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

        clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait
    • Field Detail

      • decorator

        private Decorator decorator
        This is the decorator that is associated with the attribute.
      • detail

        private Introspector detail
        This contains the details of the annotated contact object.
      • path

        private Expression path
        This is the path that is used to represent this attribute.
      • label

        private Attribute label
        Represents the annotation used to label the field.
      • format

        private Format format
        This is the format that is used to style the path.
      • type

        private java.lang.Class type
        This is the type that the field object references.
      • name

        private java.lang.String name
        This is the name of the element for this label instance.
      • empty

        private java.lang.String empty
        This is the default value to use if the real value is null.
      • required

        private boolean required
        This is used to determine if the attribute is required.
    • Constructor Detail

      • AttributeLabel

        public AttributeLabel​(Contact contact,
                              Attribute label,
                              Format format)
        Constructor for the AttributeLabel object. This is used to create a label that can convert from an object to an XML attribute and vice versa. This requires the annotation and contact extracted from the XML schema class.
        Parameters:
        contact - this is the field from the XML schema class
        label - represents the annotation for the field
        format - this is the format used to style the path
    • Method Detail

      • getDecorator

        public Decorator getDecorator()
                               throws java.lang.Exception
        This is used to acquire the Decorator for this. A decorator is an object that adds various details to the node without changing the overall structure of the node. For example comments and namespaces can be added to the node with a decorator as they do not affect the deserialization.
        Returns:
        this returns the decorator associated with this
        Throws:
        java.lang.Exception
      • getConverter

        public Converter getConverter​(Context context)
                               throws java.lang.Exception
        Creates a Converter that can convert an attribute to a primitive object. This requires the context object used for the current instance of XML serialization being performed.
        Parameters:
        context - this is context object used for serialization
        Returns:
        this returns an object that is used for conversion
        Throws:
        java.lang.Exception
      • getEmpty

        public java.lang.String getEmpty​(Context context)
        This is used to provide a configured empty value used when the annotated value is null. This ensures that XML can be created with required details regardless of whether values are null or not. It also provides a means for sensible default values.
        Parameters:
        context - this is the context object for the serialization
        Returns:
        this returns the string to use for default values
      • getName

        public java.lang.String getName()
                                 throws java.lang.Exception
        This is used to acquire the name of the element or attribute that is used by the class schema. The name is determined by checking for an override within the annotation. If it contains a name then that is used, if however the annotation does not specify a name the the field or method name is used instead.
        Returns:
        returns the name that is used for the XML property
        Throws:
        java.lang.Exception
      • getPath

        public java.lang.String getPath()
                                 throws java.lang.Exception
        This is used to acquire the path of the element or attribute that is used by the class schema. The path is determined by acquiring the XPath expression and appending the name of the label to form a fully qualified path.
        Returns:
        returns the path that is used for the XML property
        Throws:
        java.lang.Exception
      • getExpression

        public Expression getExpression()
                                 throws java.lang.Exception
        This method is used to return an XPath expression that is used to represent the position of this label. If there is no XPath expression associated with this then an empty path is returned. This will never return a null expression.
        Returns:
        the XPath expression identifying the location
        Throws:
        java.lang.Exception
      • getAnnotation

        public java.lang.annotation.Annotation getAnnotation()
        This acquires the annotation associated with this label. This is typically the annotation acquired from the field or method. However, in the case of unions this will return the actual annotation within the union group that this represents.
        Returns:
        this returns the annotation that this represents
      • getOverride

        public java.lang.String getOverride()
        This is used to acquire the name of the element or attribute as taken from the annotation. If the element or attribute explicitly specifies a name then that name is used for the XML element or attribute used. If however no overriding name is provided then the method or field is used for the name.
        Returns:
        returns the name of the annotation for the contact
      • getContact

        public Contact getContact()
        This is used to acquire the contact object for this label. The contact retrieved can be used to set any object or primitive that has been deserialized, and can also be used to acquire values to be serialized in the case of object persistance. All contacts that are retrieved from this method will be accessible.
        Returns:
        returns the contact that this label is representing
      • getType

        public java.lang.Class getType()
        This acts as a convenience method used to determine the type of the contact this represents. This will be a primitive type of a primitive type from the java.lang primitives.
        Returns:
        this returns the type of the contact class
      • isAttribute

        public boolean isAttribute()
        This method is used to determine if the label represents an attribute. This is used to style the name so that elements are styled as elements and attributes are styled as required.
        Specified by:
        isAttribute in interface Label
        Overrides:
        isAttribute in class TemplateLabel
        Returns:
        this is used to determine if this is an attribute
      • isRequired

        public boolean isRequired()
        This is used to determine whether the attribute is required. This ensures that if an attribute is missing from a document that deserialization can continue. Also, in the process of serialization, if a value is null it does not need to be written to the resulting XML document.
        Returns:
        true if the label represents a some required data
      • isData

        public boolean isData()
        Because the attribute can contain only simple text values it is never required to specified as anything other than text. Therefore this will always return false as CDATA does not apply to the attribute values.
        Returns:
        this will always return false for XML attributes
      • toString

        public java.lang.String toString()
        This is used to describe the annotation and method or field that this label represents. This is used to provide error messages that can be used to debug issues that occur when processing a method. This will provide enough information such that the problem can be isolated correctly.
        Specified by:
        toString in interface Label
        Overrides:
        toString in class java.lang.Object
        Returns:
        this returns a string representation of the label