org.apache.bcel.classfile

## Class Constant

- java.lang.Object
- - org.apache.bcel.classfile.Constant

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Cloneable, Node
  Direct Known Subclasses:
    ConstantClass, ConstantCP, ConstantDouble, ConstantFloat, ConstantInteger, ConstantLong, ConstantMethodHandle, ConstantMethodType, ConstantModule, ConstantNameAndType, ConstantPackage, ConstantString, ConstantUtf8

      public abstract class Constant
      extends Object
      implements Cloneable, Node

  Abstract superclass for classes to represent the different constant types in the constant pool of a class file. The classes keep closely to the JVM specification.
  Version:
    $Id$

- - ### Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected byte` | `tag` Deprecated. (since 6.0) will be made private; do not access directly, use getter/setter

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `abstract void` | `accept(Visitor v)` Called by objects that are traversing the nodes of the tree implicitely defined by the contents of a Java class.
    `Object` | `clone()`
    `Constant` | `copy()`
    `abstract void` | `dump(DataOutputStream file)`
    `boolean` | `equals(Object obj)` Return value as defined by given BCELComparator strategy.
    `static BCELComparator` | `getComparator()`
    `byte` | `getTag()`
    `int` | `hashCode()` Return value as defined by given BCELComparator strategy.
    `static Constant` | `readConstant(DataInput dataInput)` Read one constant from the given input, the type depends on a tag byte.
    `static void` | `setComparator(BCELComparator comparator)`
    `String` | `toString()`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Field Detail

    - #### tag

          @Deprecated
          protected byte tag

      Deprecated. (since 6.0) will be made private; do not access directly, use getter/setter

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### accept

          public abstract void accept(Visitor v)

      Called by objects that are traversing the nodes of the tree implicitely defined by the contents of a Java class. I.e., the hierarchy of methods, fields, attributes, etc. spawns a tree of objects.
      Specified by:
        `accept` in interface `Node`
      Parameters:
        `v` - Visitor object

    - #### dump

          public abstract void dump(DataOutputStream file)
                             throws IOException

      Throws:
        `IOException`

    - #### getTag

          public final byte getTag()

      Returns:
        Tag of constant, i.e., its type. No setTag() method to avoid confusion.

    - #### toString

          public String toString()

      Overrides:
        `toString` in class `Object`
      Returns:
        String representation.

    - #### copy

          public Constant copy()

      Returns:
        deep copy of this constant

    - #### clone

          public Object clone()

      Overrides:
        `clone` in class `Object`

    - #### readConstant

          public static Constant readConstant(DataInput dataInput)
                                       throws IOException,
                                              ClassFormatException

      Read one constant from the given input, the type depends on a tag byte.
      Parameters:
        `dataInput` - Input stream
      Returns:
        Constant object
      Throws:
        `IOException` - if an I/O error occurs reading from the given `dataInput`.
        `ClassFormatException` - if the next byte is not recognized
      Since:
        6.0 made public

    - #### getComparator

          public static BCELComparator getComparator()

      Returns:
        Comparison strategy object

    - #### setComparator

          public static void setComparator(BCELComparator comparator)

      Parameters:
        `comparator` - Comparison strategy object

    - #### equals

          public boolean equals(Object obj)

      Return value as defined by given BCELComparator strategy. By default two Constant objects are said to be equal when the result of toString() is equal.
      Overrides:
        `equals` in class `Object`
      See Also:
        `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`

    - #### hashCode

          public int hashCode()

      Return value as defined by given BCELComparator strategy. By default return the hashcode of the result of toString().
      Overrides:
        `hashCode` in class `Object`
      See Also:
        `Object.hashCode()`

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