Package org.apache.commons.beanutils

# Class FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector

java.lang.Object
org.apache.commons.beanutils.FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector

All Implemented Interfaces:
  `BeanIntrospector`

public class FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector extends Object implements BeanIntrospector

An implementation of the `BeanIntrospector` interface which can detect write methods for properties used in fluent API scenario.

A fluent API allows setting multiple properties using a single statement by supporting so-called method chaining: Methods for setting a property value do not return void, but an object which can be called for setting another property. An example of such a fluent API could look as follows:

     public class FooBuilder {
         public FooBuilder setFooProperty1(String value) {
            ...
            return this;
        }

         public FooBuilder setFooProperty2(int value) {
            ...
            return this;
        }
     }

Per default, `PropertyUtils` does not detect methods like this because, having a non-void return type, they violate the Java Beans specification.

This class is more tolerant with regards to the return type of a set method. It basically iterates over all methods of a class and filters them for a configurable prefix (the default prefix is `set`). It then generates corresponding `PropertyDescriptor` objects for the methods found which use these methods as write methods.

An instance of this class is intended to collaborate with a `DefaultBeanIntrospector` object. So best results are achieved by adding this instance as custom `BeanIntrospector` after the `DefaultBeanIntrospector` object. Then default introspection finds read-only properties because it does not detect the write methods with a non-void return type. `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector` completes the descriptors for these properties by setting the correct write method.

Since:
  1.9

- ## Field Summary

  Fields
  Modifier and Type
  Field
  Description
  `static final String`
  `DEFAULT_WRITE_METHOD_PREFIX`
  The default prefix for write methods.

- ## Constructor Summary

  Constructors
  Constructor
  Description
  `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector()`
  Creates a new instance of `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector` and sets the default prefix for write methods.
  `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector(String writePrefix)`
  Creates a new instance of `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector` and initializes it with the prefix for write methods used by the classes to be inspected.

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `String`
  `getWriteMethodPrefix()`
  Returns the prefix for write methods this instance scans for.
  `void`
  `introspect(IntrospectionContext icontext)`
  Performs introspection.

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

  `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- ## Field Details

  - ### DEFAULT_WRITE_METHOD_PREFIX

    public static final String DEFAULT_WRITE_METHOD_PREFIX
    The default prefix for write methods.
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

- ## Constructor Details

  - ### FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector

    public FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector()
    Creates a new instance of `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector` and sets the default prefix for write methods.

  - ### FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector

    public FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector(String writePrefix)
    Creates a new instance of `FluentPropertyBeanIntrospector` and initializes it with the prefix for write methods used by the classes to be inspected.
    Parameters:
      `writePrefix` - the prefix for write methods (must not be null)
    Throws:
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if the prefix is null

- ## Method Details

  - ### getWriteMethodPrefix

    public String getWriteMethodPrefix()
    Returns the prefix for write methods this instance scans for.
    Returns:
      the prefix for write methods

  - ### introspect

    public void introspect(IntrospectionContext icontext) throws IntrospectionException
    Performs introspection. This method scans the current class's methods for property write methods which have not been discovered by default introspection.
    Specified by:
      `introspect` in interface `BeanIntrospector`
    Parameters:
      `icontext` - the introspection context
    Throws:
      `IntrospectionException` - if an error occurs