Interface TypeUsage


  • @API(status=MAINTAINED,
         since="1.0")
    public interface TypeUsage
    An instance of TypeUsage describes the information available for parameter or return types. The class is supposed to relieve its users from all the intricacies of the Java reflection API. Doing that it will resolve meta annotations, repeated annotations as well as annotated type parameters.

    TypeUsage provides access to:

    • the native type of an object
    • the component type (if it's an array)
    • the type parameters (again as instances of TypeUsage)
    • the annotations (if the object is derived from a parameter)
    • methods to test for compatibility of types that do also handle compatibility between raw types and boxed type

    Within the public API TypeUsage is used in two places:

    • Method Summary

      All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods 
      Modifier and Type Method Description
      boolean canBeAssignedTo​(TypeUsage targetType)
      Check if an instance can be assigned to another TypeUsage instance.
      <A extends java.lang.annotation.Annotation>
      java.util.Optional<A>
      findAnnotation​(java.lang.Class<A> annotationType)
      Return an Optional of the first instance of a specific annotationType if there is one (directly or indirectly through meta-annotations).
      static TypeUsage forType​(java.lang.reflect.Type type)  
      java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedType getAnnotatedType()  
      java.util.List<java.lang.annotation.Annotation> getAnnotations()
      Return all annotations of a parameter (or an annotated type argument).
      java.util.Optional<TypeUsage> getComponentType()
      Return an Optional of an array's component type - if it is an array.
      java.util.List<TypeUsage> getInterfaces()
      Return interfaces of this type.
      java.util.List<TypeUsage> getLowerBounds()
      Return lower bounds if a generic type is a wildcard.
      java.lang.Class<?> getRawType()
      Return the raw type which is usually the class or interface you see in a parameters or return values specification.
      java.util.Optional<TypeUsage> getSuperclass()
      Return superclass of this type.
      java.lang.reflect.Type getType()  
      TypeUsage getTypeArgument​(int position)
      Return the type argument at a specific position.
      java.util.List<TypeUsage> getTypeArguments()
      Return the type arguments of a generic type in the order of there appearance in a type's declaration.
      java.util.List<TypeUsage> getUpperBounds()
      Return upper bounds if a generic type is a wildcard or type variable.
      <A extends java.lang.annotation.Annotation>
      boolean
      isAnnotated​(java.lang.Class<A> annotationType)
      Return true if the current instance is annotated (directly or indirectly through meta-annotations) with a specific annotationType.
      boolean isArray()
      Return true if a type is an array type.
      boolean isAssignableFrom​(java.lang.Class<?> providedClass)
      Check if a given providedClass is assignable from this generic type.
      boolean isEnum()
      Return true if a type is an enum type.
      boolean isGeneric()
      Return true if a type has any type arguments itself.
      boolean isOfType​(java.lang.Class<?> aRawType)
      Check if an instance is of a specific raw type
      boolean isTypeVariable()
      Return true if a generic type is a wildcard.
      boolean isTypeVariableOrWildcard()
      Return true if a generic type is a type variable or a wildcard.
      boolean isVoid()
      Return true if type is Void.
      boolean isWildcard()
      Return true if a generic type is a wildcard.
      static TypeUsage of​(java.lang.Class<?> type, TypeUsage... typeParameters)  
      static TypeUsage wildcard​(TypeUsage upperBound)  
    • Method Detail

      • forType

        static TypeUsage forType​(java.lang.reflect.Type type)
      • getRawType

        java.lang.Class<?> getRawType()
        Return the raw type which is usually the class or interface you see in a parameters or return values specification.

        A raw type always exists.

      • getUpperBounds

        java.util.List<TypeUsage> getUpperBounds()
        Return upper bounds if a generic type is a wildcard or type variable. TypeUsage.of(Object.class) is always included.
      • getLowerBounds

        java.util.List<TypeUsage> getLowerBounds()
        Return lower bounds if a generic type is a wildcard.
      • isWildcard

        boolean isWildcard()
        Return true if a generic type is a wildcard.
      • isTypeVariable

        boolean isTypeVariable()
        Return true if a generic type is a wildcard.
      • isTypeVariableOrWildcard

        boolean isTypeVariableOrWildcard()
        Return true if a generic type is a type variable or a wildcard.
      • getTypeArguments

        java.util.List<TypeUsage> getTypeArguments()
        Return the type arguments of a generic type in the order of there appearance in a type's declaration.
      • getTypeArgument

        TypeUsage getTypeArgument​(int position)
        Return the type argument at a specific position.
      • isOfType

        boolean isOfType​(java.lang.Class<?> aRawType)
        Check if an instance is of a specific raw type

        Most of the time this is what you want to do when checking for applicability of a ArbitraryProvider.

      • canBeAssignedTo

        boolean canBeAssignedTo​(TypeUsage targetType)
        Check if an instance can be assigned to another TypeUsage instance.
      • isGeneric

        boolean isGeneric()
        Return true if a type has any type arguments itself.
      • isEnum

        boolean isEnum()
        Return true if a type is an enum type.
      • isArray

        boolean isArray()
        Return true if a type is an array type.
      • getAnnotations

        java.util.List<java.lang.annotation.Annotation> getAnnotations()
        Return all annotations of a parameter (or an annotated type argument).

        This list already contains all meta annotations, repeated annotations and annotations from annotated type arguments. Thus, it does much more than the usual Java reflection API.

      • findAnnotation

        <A extends java.lang.annotation.Annotation> java.util.Optional<A> findAnnotation​(java.lang.Class<A> annotationType)
        Return an Optional of the first instance of a specific annotationType if there is one (directly or indirectly through meta-annotations).
      • isAnnotated

        <A extends java.lang.annotation.Annotation> boolean isAnnotated​(java.lang.Class<A> annotationType)
        Return true if the current instance is annotated (directly or indirectly through meta-annotations) with a specific annotationType.
      • isAssignableFrom

        boolean isAssignableFrom​(java.lang.Class<?> providedClass)
        Check if a given providedClass is assignable from this generic type.
      • getComponentType

        java.util.Optional<TypeUsage> getComponentType()
        Return an Optional of an array's component type - if it is an array.
      • isVoid

        @API(status=EXPERIMENTAL,
             since="1.2.0")
        boolean isVoid()
        Return true if type is Void.
      • getSuperclass

        @API(status=EXPERIMENTAL,
             since="1.2.0")
        java.util.Optional<TypeUsage> getSuperclass()
        Return superclass of this type.
      • getInterfaces

        @API(status=EXPERIMENTAL,
             since="1.2.0")
        java.util.List<TypeUsage> getInterfaces()
        Return interfaces of this type.
      • getType

        @API(status=INTERNAL,
             since="1.2.0")
        java.lang.reflect.Type getType()
      • getAnnotatedType

        @API(status=INTERNAL,
             since="1.2.0")
        java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedType getAnnotatedType()