asked on

Loading the java class dynamically

Let say I have serveral java class:

Class1, Class2, Class3

Then I have a command line program which allow user to input the paramter
java Program Class1

which will then run the following
new Class1()
if the parameter is Class2
new Class2()

How can I write the code such that I can create the class dynamically?
I don't want using the if else case...like..
if(arg.equals("Class1"))
new Class1();
else if(arg.equals("Class2"))
new Class2();
else if(arg.equals("Class3"))
new Class3();

Thanks

WelkinMaze

You can use for example Class.forName( classNameString ).newInstance();

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WelkinMaze

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gauravkrtomar

Just do make sure that you have a default constructer for the Class, default constructur i.e. a no argument constructer, otherwise u'll get an error.

jabbaa

ASKER

But how about if my constructor have parameter?
e.g . new Class1(arg1, arg2)

Thanks

chandru_in

It is not possible to call parameterized constructor from Class.forName(). However, you can write a dummy no-arg contructor within the class which would call the parameterized constructor with some default parameters.

gauravkrtomar

or u have to initialise them in your switch statement.

somthing like:-
Object obj = Class.forName(arg).newInstance();
((CustomObject)obj).initialise(arg1,arg2);

where CustomObject can be the interface or the class u have created.

WelkinMaze

You can do it this way:

Class cls = Class.forName(arg);
Object obj = cls.getConstructor(new Class[]{cls}).newInstance(new Object[]{arg1, arg2});

gauravkrtomar

Yeah that can also be one of the better ways to do that :)

Webstorm

Class cls = Class.forName(arg);

Object obj = cls.getConstructor(new Class[]{
// here put the argument classes, not cls
String.class,String.class // if arg1 and arg2 are String
}).newInstance(new Object[]{arg1, arg2});

If you want to call a contructor with int parameters, use Integer
int -> Integer
long -> Long
double -> Double
...

Jim Cakalic

You also might have a look at the commons.beanutils.ConstructorUtils class. It abstracts away a lot of the noise:
http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/beanutils/api/index.html

Jim