Details
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Type:
New Feature
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Status:
Closed
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Priority:
Major
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Resolution: Fixed
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Affects Version/s: None
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Fix Version/s: 1.2
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Component/s: None
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Labels:None
Description
Suggested by Mark Helmstetter
A converter that provides functionality such
that if an object has a method such as "public Object fromString(String str)". It
seems that such a converter could be very valuable to avoid writing a special
converter for lots of relatively simple objects that require special handling that
the packaged converters don't address.
Additional notes by Joe
I think this is a good idea.
An interface could be introduced for this that objects can implement if they want to be handled by the converter:
package com.thoughtworks.xstream;
public interface StringSerializable {
String toString(); // implicit from Object anyway, but in the interface for clarity
void fromString(String string);
}
Any objects implementing this method would also require a default constructor - similar to the contract of java.io.Externalizable.
Activity
Please ignore the first patch
Mark Helmstetter
added a comment - Please ignore the first patch here is a simple patch with 3 changes and 3 new classes: the interface, the converter class, the test case
now here is the conversion order:
1. field conversion overriding
2. implements interface overriding
3. converter lookup
we can change it, just decide one order and change the lookup process... (but any choice will have its pro/cons)
Guilherme Silveira
added a comment - here is a simple patch with 3 changes and 3 new classes: the interface, the converter class, the test case
now here is the conversion order:
1. field conversion overriding
2. implements interface overriding
3. converter lookup
we can change it, just decide one order and change the lookup process... (but any choice will have its pro/cons) this is the real one...
Guilherme Silveira
added a comment - this is the real one... another way is to implement a converter... tried but did not get it right at first.
Guilherme Silveira
added a comment - another way is to implement a converter... tried but did not get it right at first. This is implemented now with the SingleValueConverter. Please have a look at the version in the repository and report back, if it covers your expectation.
Jörg Schaible
added a comment - This is implemented now with the SingleValueConverter. Please have a look at the version in the repository and report back, if it covers your expectation. 
Joe,
I took a crack at this, let me know what you think.
I'm thinking that it's really not necessary to impose constraints that classes must implement a particular interface to take advantage of the FromStringConverter, and that they have a public default constructor. Feel free to disagree...
I've used Spring's BeanUtils as a helper here, that could potentially be factored out, but I don't see any harm in including it. I think the same can be easily applied to the BeanConverter, and this should solve the Applet security issue as well.