@XStreamAsValue - define that a field should be serialized as the node's value

Maybe a better way is to modify @XStreamAlias to add an optional field parameter which would be the name of the field that handles the text value; i.e.

@XStreamAlias(value="node", field="text")
public class Node

would be serialized as:

<node>Something Brilliant</node>

This would also get around the issues of allowing one field per class, inheritance etc...

I would not call it a batter way, as providing attribute/class/method names in Strings (value="test") in very error-prone.
But, definitely it is an easier to implement and since it is better to have that possibility rather than not have it at all, it might be a better way

I explained it on the list. If you tie the annotation directly to the member you get problems in a class hierarchy (slightly modified):

class A {
  String a;
}

class B extends A {
  String b;
}

class C extends B {
  String c;
}

Problems regarding the annotation only:

1. 'a' is used as text value for 'B', but 'A' is a 3rd party class (or from JDK)
2. 'b' is used as text value for 'B' only
3. 'b' is used as text value for 'C' only
4. 'b' is used as text value for 'B', 'c' is used for 'C'

@Adam: You have this possibility already, just not by using annotations. Simply register a ToAttributedValueConverter for your type.

I have a working version which solves the inheritance issue by only processing the field alias for the declaring class and the super class is treated as it would be normally. The changes are contained within the annotations classes and only exposed through the mapper to the AbstractReflectionConverter; (for which I have added one new method which the DefaultMapper returns null)

@XStreamAlias(value="nodeA", field="name")
class A {
    String name = "Helloworld";
}

produces: <nodeA>Helloworld</nodeA>

@XStreamAlias(value="nodeB", field="alt_name")
class B extends A 
{
    String alt_name = "Javaworld";
}

produces: <nodeB><name>Helloworld</name>Javaworld</nodeB>

Attached is the eclipse generated patch file for the changes described in previous comment.

I have a working version which solves the inheritance issue by only processing the field alias for the declaring class and the super class is treated as it would be normally.

This is unfortunately wrong.

<nodeB><name>Helloworld</name>Javaworld</nodeB>

This is mixed mode XML which is not supported by XStream. It cannot be read again i.e. a HierarchicalStreamReader will behave in an undefined way. Using a field as text value for a XML element implies that any other field (inherited or not) has to be expressed as attribute.

Apart from this, your solution would not cover case 1 + 3.

As already said, XStream already provides the required functionality with ToAttributedValueConverter. The annotation solution should not behave differently at all.

Ralph, I am a bit in a dilemma with your contribution. I realize that all my comments are negative and not very motivating and I am hating my answers for that. However, they way you have implemented this shows that you really took a deep look into XStream's structures and you understood how XStream works in principle. We'd love to have more of such impressive contributions - it's just a very special case here, therefore don't get me wrong.

You can use the new parameter support of the XStreamConverter annotation to do this now:

@XStreamConverter(value=ToAttributedConverter.class, strings={"fieldName"}, types={DeclaringType.class})

I've updated the snapshots in the repository. The trunk also contains an update for the annotation tutorial covering this topic.