org.springframework.beans
Interface BeanWrapper

All Superinterfaces:
PropertyAccessor, PropertyEditorRegistry
All Known Implementing Classes:
BeanWrapperImpl

public interface BeanWrapper
extends PropertyAccessor, PropertyEditorRegistry

The central interface of Spring's low-level JavaBeans infrastructure. Extends the PropertyAccessor and PropertyEditorRegistry interfaces.

The default implementation is BeanWrapperImpl. Typically not used directly but rather implicitly via a BeanFactory or a DataBinder.

Provides operations to analyze and manipulate standard Java Beans: the ability to get and set property values (individually or in bulk), get property descriptors, query the readability/writability of properties.

This interface supports nested properties enabling the setting of properties on subproperties to an unlimited depth.

A BeanWrapper instance can be used repeatedly, with its target object (the wrapped Java Bean instance) changing.

Since:
13 April 2001
Author:
Rod Johnson, Juergen Hoeller
See Also:
PropertyAccessor, PropertyEditorRegistry, BeanWrapperImpl, BeanFactory, DataBinder

Field Summary
 
Fields inherited from interface org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessor
NESTED_PROPERTY_SEPARATOR, NESTED_PROPERTY_SEPARATOR_CHAR, PROPERTY_KEY_PREFIX, PROPERTY_KEY_PREFIX_CHAR, PROPERTY_KEY_SUFFIX, PROPERTY_KEY_SUFFIX_CHAR
 
Method Summary
 PropertyDescriptor getPropertyDescriptor(String propertyName)
          Get the property descriptor for a particular property.
 PropertyDescriptor[] getPropertyDescriptors()
          Get the PropertyDescriptors identified on this object (standard JavaBeans introspection).
 Class getPropertyType(String propertyName)
          Determine the property type for a particular property, either checking the property descriptor or checking the value in case of an indexed or mapped element.
 Class getWrappedClass()
          Convenience method to return the class of the wrapped object.
 Object getWrappedInstance()
          Return the bean wrapped by this object (cannot be null).
 boolean isExtractOldValueForEditor()
          Return whether to extract the old property value when applying a property editor to a new value for a property.
 boolean isReadableProperty(String propertyName)
          Return whether this property is readable.
 boolean isWritableProperty(String propertyName)
          Return whether this property is writable.
 void setExtractOldValueForEditor(boolean extractOldValueForEditor)
          Set whether to extract the old property value when applying a property editor to a new value for a property.
 void setWrappedInstance(Object obj)
          Change the wrapped object.
 
Methods inherited from interface org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessor
getPropertyValue, setPropertyValue, setPropertyValue, setPropertyValues, setPropertyValues, setPropertyValues
 
Methods inherited from interface org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistry
findCustomEditor, registerCustomEditor, registerCustomEditor
 

Method Detail

setWrappedInstance

void setWrappedInstance(Object obj)
Change the wrapped object. Implementations are required to allow the type of the wrapped object to change.

Parameters:
obj - wrapped object that we are manipulating

getWrappedInstance

Object getWrappedInstance()
Return the bean wrapped by this object (cannot be null).

Returns:
the bean wrapped by this object

getWrappedClass

Class getWrappedClass()
Convenience method to return the class of the wrapped object.

Returns:
the class of the wrapped object

setExtractOldValueForEditor

void setExtractOldValueForEditor(boolean extractOldValueForEditor)
Set whether to extract the old property value when applying a property editor to a new value for a property.

Default is "false", avoiding side effects caused by getters. Turn this to "true" to expose previous property values to custom editors.


isExtractOldValueForEditor

boolean isExtractOldValueForEditor()
Return whether to extract the old property value when applying a property editor to a new value for a property.


getPropertyDescriptors

PropertyDescriptor[] getPropertyDescriptors()
                                            throws BeansException
Get the PropertyDescriptors identified on this object (standard JavaBeans introspection).

Returns:
the PropertyDescriptors identified on this object
Throws:
BeansException

getPropertyDescriptor

PropertyDescriptor getPropertyDescriptor(String propertyName)
                                         throws BeansException
Get the property descriptor for a particular property.

Parameters:
propertyName - property to check status for
Returns:
the property descriptor for the particular property
Throws:
InvalidPropertyException - if there is no such property
BeansException

isReadableProperty

boolean isReadableProperty(String propertyName)
                           throws BeansException
Return whether this property is readable. Returns false if the property doesn't exist.

Parameters:
propertyName - property to check status for
Returns:
whether this property is readable
Throws:
BeansException

isWritableProperty

boolean isWritableProperty(String propertyName)
                           throws BeansException
Return whether this property is writable. Returns false if the property doesn't exist.

Parameters:
propertyName - property to check status for
Returns:
whether this property is writable
Throws:
BeansException

getPropertyType

Class getPropertyType(String propertyName)
                      throws BeansException
Determine the property type for a particular property, either checking the property descriptor or checking the value in case of an indexed or mapped element.

Parameters:
propertyName - property to check status for
Returns:
the property type for the particular property, or null if not determinable (can only happen with an indexed or mapped element)
Throws:
InvalidPropertyException - if there is no such property
BeansException


Copyright (c) 2002-2006 The Spring Framework Project.