java.lang

Class Class<T>

java.lang.Object

java.lang.Class<T>

Type Parameters:

T - ?

public final class Class<T>
extends Object

Instances of the class Class represent classes and interfaces in a running Java application. Every array also belongs to a class that is reflected as a Class object that is shared by all arrays with the same element type and number of dimensions. Finally, the eight primitive Java types (boolean, byte, char, short, int, long, float, and double) and the keyword void are also represented as Class objects. There is no public constructor for the class Class. Class objects are constructed automatically by the Java Virtual Machine as classes are loaded and by calls to the defineClass method in the class loader.

The following example uses a Class object to print the Class name of an object: void printClassName(Object obj) { System.out.println("The class of " + obj + " is " + obj.getClass().getName()); }

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor and Description
Class()

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
static Class<?>	forName(String className) Returns the Class object associated with the class with the given string name.
Class[]	getClasses() Not implemented in this version of the JavaTM Development Kit.
ClassLoader	getClassLoader() Determines the class loader for the class.
static int	getClassNumber(String className)
Class	getComponentType() If this class represents an array type, returns the Class object representing the component type of the array; otherwise returns null.
Constructor	getConstructor(Class[] parameterTypes) Returns a Constructor object that reflects the specified public constructor of the class represented by this Class object.
Constructor[]	getConstructors() Returns an array containing Constructor objects reflecting all the public constructors of the class represented by this Class object.
Class[]	getDeclaredClasses() Not implemented in this version of the Java TM Development Kit.
Constructor	getDeclaredConstructor(Class[] parameterTypes) Returns a Constructor object that reflects the specified declared constructor of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Constructor[]	getDeclaredConstructors() Returns an array of Constructor objects reflecting all the constructors declared by the class represented by this Class object.
Field	getDeclaredField(String name) Returns a Field object that reflects the specified declared field of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Field[]	getDeclaredFields() Returns an array of Field objects reflecting all the fields declared by the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Method	getDeclaredMethod(String name, Class[] parameterTypes) Returns a Method object that reflects the specified declared method of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Method[]	getDeclaredMethods() Returns an array of Method objects reflecting all the methods declared by the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Class	getDeclaringClass() Not implemented in this version of the JavaTM Development Kit.
Field	getField(String name) Returns a Field object that reflects the specified public member field of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Field[]	getFields() Returns an array containing Field objects reflecting all the accessible public fields of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Class[]	getInterfaces() Determines the interfaces implemented by the class or interface represented by this object.
Method	getMethod(String name, Class[] parameterTypes) Returns a Method object that reflects the specified public member method of the class or interface represented by this Class object.
Method[]	getMethods() Returns an array containing Method objects reflecting all the public member methods of the class or interface represented by this Class object, including those declared by the class or interface and and those inherited from superclasses and superinterfaces.
int	getModifiers() Returns the Java language modifiers for this class or interface, encoded in an integer.
String	getName() Returns the fully-qualified name of the type (class, interface, array, or primitive) represented by this Class object, as a String.
static Object	getNewInstance()
InputStream	getResourceAsStream(String name) Finds a resource with a given name.
Object[]	getSigners() Get the signers of this class.
Class	getSuperclass() If this object represents any class other than the class Object, then the object that represents the superclass of that class is returned.
boolean	isArray() If this Class object represents an array type, returns true, otherwise returns false.
boolean	isAssignableFrom(Class cls) Determines if the class or interface represented by this Class object is either the same as, or is a superclass or superinterface of, the class or interface represented by the specified Class parameter.
boolean	isInstance(Object obj) This method is the dynamic equivalent of the Java language instanceof operator.
boolean	isInterface() Determines if the specified Class object represents an interface type.
boolean	isPrimitive() Determines if the specified Class object represents a primitive Java type.
Object	newInstance() Creates a new instance of a class.
String	toString() Converts the object to a string.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

Class

public Class()

Method Detail

toString

public String toString()

Converts the object to a string. The string representation is the string "class" or "interface" followed by a space and then the fully qualified name of the class. If this Class object represents a primitive type, returns the name of the primitive type.

Overrides:

toString in class Object

Returns:

a string representation of this class object.

Since:

JDK1.0

forName

public static Class<?> forName(String className)
                        throws ClassNotFoundException

Returns the Class object associated with the class with the given string name. Given the fully-qualified name for a class or interface, this method attempts to locate, load and link the class. If it succeeds, returns the Class object representing the class. If it fails, the method throws a ClassNotFoundException. For example, the following code fragment returns the runtime

Parameters:

className - the fully qualified name of the desired class.

Returns:

the Class descriptor for the class with the specified name.

Throws:

ClassNotFoundException - if the class could not be found.

Since:

JDK1.0

getClassNumber

public static int getClassNumber(String className)

Parameters:

className - ?

Returns:

?

newInstance

public Object newInstance()
                   throws InstantiationException,
                          IllegalAccessException

Creates a new instance of a class.

Returns:

a newly allocated instance of the class represented by this object. This is done exactly as if by a new expression with an empty argument list.

Throws:

IllegalAccessException - if the class or initializer is not accessible.

InstantiationException - if an application tries to instantiate an abstract class or an interface, or if the instantiation fails for some other reason.

Since:

JDK1.0

getNewInstance

public static Object getNewInstance()

Returns:

?

isInstance

public boolean isInstance(Object obj)

This method is the dynamic equivalent of the Java language instanceof operator. The method returns true if the specified Object argument is non-null and can be cast to the reference type represented by this Class object without raising a ClassCastException. It returns false otherwise.

Specifically, if this Class object represents a declared class, returns true if the specified Object argument is an instance of the represented class (or of any of its subclasses); false otherwise. If this Class object represents an array class, returns true if the specified Object argument can be converted to an object of the array type by an identity conversion or by a widening reference conversion; false otherwise. If this Class object represents an interface, returns true if the class or any superclass of the specified Object argument implements this interface; false otherwise. If this Class object represents a primitive type, returns false.

Parameters:

obj - The object to check

Returns:

boolean

Since:

JDK1.1

isAssignableFrom

public boolean isAssignableFrom(Class cls)

Determines if the class or interface represented by this Class object is either the same as, or is a superclass or superinterface of, the class or interface represented by the specified Class parameter. It returns true if so, false otherwise. If this Class object represents a primitive type, returns true if the specified Class parameter is exactly this Class object, false otherwise.

Specifically, this method tests whether the type represented by the specified Class parameter can be converted to the type represented by this Class object via an identity conversion or via a widening reference conversion. See The Java Language Specification, sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.4 , for details.

Parameters:

cls - ?

Returns:

boolean

Throws:

NullPointerException - if the specified Class parameter is null.

Since:

JDK1.1

isInterface

public boolean isInterface()

Determines if the specified Class object represents an interface type.

Returns:

true if this object represents an interface; false otherwise.

Since:

JDK1.0

isArray

public boolean isArray()

If this Class object represents an array type, returns true, otherwise returns false.

Returns:

boolean

Since:

JDK1.1

isPrimitive

public boolean isPrimitive()

Determines if the specified Class object represents a primitive Java type.

There are nine predefined Class objects to represent the eight primitive Java types and void. These are created by the Java Virtual Machine, and have the same names as the primitive types that they represent, namely boolean, byte, char, short, int, long, float, and double, and void.

These objects may only be accessed via the following public static final variables, and are the only Class objects for which this method returns true.

Returns:

boolean

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Boolean.TYPE, Character.TYPE, Byte.TYPE, Short.TYPE, Integer.TYPE, Long.TYPE, Float.TYPE, Double.TYPE, Void.TYPE

getName

public String getName()

Returns the fully-qualified name of the type (class, interface, array, or primitive) represented by this Class object, as a String.

Returns:

the fully qualified name of the class or interface represented by this object.

Since:

JDK1.0

getClassLoader

public ClassLoader getClassLoader()

Determines the class loader for the class.

Returns:

the class loader that created the class or interface represented by this object, or null if the class was not created by a class loader.

Since:

JDK1.0

See Also:

ClassLoader

getSuperclass

public Class getSuperclass()

If this object represents any class other than the class Object, then the object that represents the superclass of that class is returned. If this object is the one that represents the class Object or this object represents an interface, null is returned.

Returns:

the superclass of the class represented by this object.

Since:

JDK1.0

getInterfaces

public Class[] getInterfaces()

Determines the interfaces implemented by the class or interface represented by this object. If this object represents a class, the return value is an array containing objects representing all interfaces implemented by the class. The order of the interface objects in the array corresponds to the order of the interface names in the implements clause of the declaration of the class represented by this object. If this object represents an interface, the array contains objects representing all interfaces extended by the interface. The order of the interface objects in the array corresponds to the order of the interface names in the extends clause of the declaration of the interface represented by this object. If the class or interface implements no interfaces, the method returns an array of length 0.

Returns:

an array of interfaces implemented by this class.

Since:

JDK1.0

getComponentType

public Class getComponentType()

If this class represents an array type, returns the Class object representing the component type of the array; otherwise returns null.

Returns:

?

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Array

getModifiers

public int getModifiers()

Returns the Java language modifiers for this class or interface, encoded in an integer. The modifiers consist of the Java Virtual Machine's constants for public, protected, private, final, and interface; they should be decoded using the methods of class Modifier.

The modifier encodings are defined in The Java Virtual Machine Specification, table 4.1.

Returns:

?

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Modifier

getSigners

public Object[] getSigners()

Get the signers of this class.

Returns:

?

Since:

JDK1.1

getDeclaringClass

public Class getDeclaringClass()

Not implemented in this version of the Java^TM Development Kit.

If the class or interface represented by this Class object is a member of another class, returns the Class object representing the class of which it is a member (its declaring class). Returns null if this class or interface is not a member of any other class.

Returns:

?

Since:

JDK1.1

getClasses

public Class[] getClasses()

Not implemented in this version of the Java^TM Development Kit.

Returns an array containing Class objects representing all the public classes and interfaces that are members of the class represented by this Class object. This includes public class and interface members inherited from superclasses and public class and interface members declared by the class. Returns an array of length 0 if the class has no public member classes or interfaces, or if this Class object represents a primitive type.

Returns:

?

Since:

JDK1.1

getFields

public Field[] getFields()
                  throws SecurityException

Returns an array containing Field objects reflecting all the accessible public fields of the class or interface represented by this Class object. Returns an array of length 0 if the class or interface has no accessible public fields, or if it represents an array type or a primitive type.

Specifically, if this Class object represents a class, returns the public fields of this class and of all its superclasses. If this Class object represents an interface, returns the fields of this interface and of all its superinterfaces. If this Class object represents an array type or a primitive type, returns an array of length 0.

The implicit length field for array types is not reflected by this method. User code should use the methods of class Array to manipulate arrays.

See The Java Language Specification, sections 8.2 and 8.3.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Field

getMethods

public Method[] getMethods()
                    throws SecurityException

Returns an array containing Method objects reflecting all the public member methods of the class or interface represented by this Class object, including those declared by the class or interface and and those inherited from superclasses and superinterfaces. Returns an array of length 0 if the class or interface has no public member methods.

See The Java Language Specification, sections 8.2 and 8.4.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Method

getConstructors

public Constructor[] getConstructors()
                              throws SecurityException

Returns an array containing Constructor objects reflecting all the public constructors of the class represented by this Class object. An array of length 0 is returned if the class has no public constructors.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Constructor

getField

public Field getField(String name)
               throws NoSuchFieldException,
                      SecurityException

Returns a Field object that reflects the specified public member field of the class or interface represented by this Class object. The name parameter is a String specifying the simple name of the desired field.

The field to be reflected is located by searching all the member fields of the class or interface represented by this Class object for a public field with the specified name.

See The Java Language Specification, sections 8.2 and 8.3.

Parameters:

name - ?

Returns:

?

Throws:

NoSuchFieldException - if a field with the specified name is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Field

getMethod

public Method getMethod(String name,
                        Class[] parameterTypes)
                 throws NoSuchMethodException,
                        SecurityException

Returns a Method object that reflects the specified public member method of the class or interface represented by this Class object. The name parameter is a String specifying the simple name the desired method, and the parameterTypes parameter is an array of Class objects that identify the method's formal parameter types, in declared order.

The method to reflect is located by searching all the member methods of the class or interface represented by this Class object for a public method with the specified name and exactly the same formal parameter types.

See The Java Language Specification, sections 8.2 and 8.4.

Parameters:

name - ?

parameterTypes - ?

Returns:

?

Throws:

NoSuchMethodException - if a matching method is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Method

getConstructor

public Constructor getConstructor(Class[] parameterTypes)
                           throws NoSuchMethodException,
                                  SecurityException

Returns a Constructor object that reflects the specified public constructor of the class represented by this Class object. The parameterTypes parameter is an array of Class objects that identify the constructor's formal parameter types, in declared order.

The constructor to reflect is located by searching all the constructors of the class represented by this Class object for a public constructor with the exactly the same formal parameter types.

Parameters:

parameterTypes - ?

Returns:

?

Throws:

NoSuchMethodException - if a matching method is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Constructor

getDeclaredClasses

public Class[] getDeclaredClasses()
                           throws SecurityException

Not implemented in this version of the Java ^TM Development Kit.

Returns an array of Class objects reflecting all the classes and interfaces declared as members of the class represented by this Class object. This includes public, protected, default (package) access, and private classes and interfaces declared by the class, but excludes inherited classes and interfaces. Returns an array of length 0 if the class declares no classes or interfaces as members, or if this Class object represents a primitive type.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

getDeclaredFields

public Field[] getDeclaredFields()
                          throws SecurityException

Returns an array of Field objects reflecting all the fields declared by the class or interface represented by this Class object. This includes public, protected, default (package) access, and private fields, but excludes inherited fields. Returns an array of length 0 if the class or interface declares no fields, or if this Class object represents a primitive type. See The Java Language Specification, sections 8.2 and 8.3.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Field

getDeclaredMethods

public Method[] getDeclaredMethods()
                            throws SecurityException

Returns an array of Method objects reflecting all the methods declared by the class or interface represented by this Class object. This includes public, protected, default (package) access, and private methods, but excludes inherited methods. Returns an array of length 0 if the class or interface declares no methods, or if this Class object represents a primitive type.

See The Java Language Specification, section 8.2.

Returns:

?

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Method

getDeclaredConstructors

public Constructor[] getDeclaredConstructors()
                                      throws SecurityException

Returns an array of Constructor objects reflecting all the constructors declared by the class represented by this Class object. These are public, protected, default (package) access, and private constructors. Returns an array of length 0 if this Class object represents an interface or a primitive type.

See The Java Language Specification, section 8.2.

Returns:

Constructor[]

Throws:

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Constructor

getDeclaredField

public Field getDeclaredField(String name)
                       throws NoSuchFieldException,
                              SecurityException

Returns a Field object that reflects the specified declared field of the class or interface represented by this Class object. The name parameter is a String that specifies the simple name of the desired field.

Parameters:

name - ?

Returns:

Field

Throws:

NoSuchFieldException - if a field with the specified name is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Field

getDeclaredMethod

public Method getDeclaredMethod(String name,
                                Class[] parameterTypes)
                         throws NoSuchMethodException,
                                SecurityException

Returns a Method object that reflects the specified declared method of the class or interface represented by this Class object. The name parameter is a String that specifies the simple name of the desired method, and the parameterTypes parameter is an array of Class objects that identify the method's formal parameter types, in declared order.

Parameters:

name - ?

parameterTypes - ?

Returns:

Method ?

Throws:

NoSuchMethodException - if a matching method is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Method

getDeclaredConstructor

public Constructor getDeclaredConstructor(Class[] parameterTypes)
                                   throws NoSuchMethodException,
                                          SecurityException

Returns a Constructor object that reflects the specified declared constructor of the class or interface represented by this Class object. The parameterTypes parameter is an array of Class objects that identify the constructor's formal parameter types, in declared order.

Parameters:

parameterTypes - ?

Returns:

Constructor ?

Throws:

NoSuchMethodException - if a matching method is not found.

SecurityException - if access to the information is denied.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

Constructor

getResourceAsStream

public InputStream getResourceAsStream(String name)

Finds a resource with a given name. Will return null if no resource with this name is found. The rules for searching a resources associated with a given class are implemented by the ClassLoader of the class.

The Class methods delegate to ClassLoader methods, after applying a naming convention: if the resource name starts with "/", it is used as is. Otherwise, the name of the package is prepended, after converting "." to "/".

Parameters:

name - the string representing the resource to be found

Returns:

the InputStream object having the specified name, or null if no resource with the specified name is found.

Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:

ClassLoader