groovy.lang

## Class MetaMethod

- java.lang.Object
- - org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.ParameterTypes
  - - groovy.lang.MetaMethod

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Cloneable
  Direct Known Subclasses:
    CachedMethod, CallSiteAwareMetaMethod, ClosureMetaMethod, ClosureStaticMetaMethod, GeneratedMetaMethod, MetaClassImpl.MetaConstructor, MixinInstanceMetaMethod, ReflectionMetaMethod, TransformMetaMethod

      public abstract class MetaMethod
      extends ParameterTypes
      implements Cloneable

  Represents a Method on a Java object a little like `Method` except without using reflection to invoke the method

- - ### Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `static MetaMethod[]` | `EMPTY_ARRAY`

    - ### Fields inherited from class org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.ParameterTypes

      `isVargsMethod, nativeParamTypes, parameterTypes`

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `MetaMethod()` Constructor for a metamethod with an empty parameter list
    `MetaMethod(Class[] pt)` Constructor wit a list of parameter classes

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | `checkParameters(Class[] arguments)` Checks that the given parameters are valid to call this method
    `Object` | `clone()`
    `Object` | `doMethodInvoke(Object object, Object[] argumentArray)` Invokes the method this object represents.
    `protected static boolean` | `equal(CachedClass[] a, CachedClass[] b)`
    `protected static boolean` | `equal(CachedClass[] a, Class[] b)`
    `abstract CachedClass` | `getDeclaringClass()` Gets the class where this method is declared
    `String` | `getDescriptor()` Return a descriptor of this method based on the return type and parameters of this method.
    `abstract int` | `getModifiers()` Returns the modifiers for this method
    `String` | `getMopName()`
    `abstract String` | `getName()` Returns the name of the method represented by this class
    `abstract Class` | `getReturnType()` Access the return type for this method
    `String` | `getSignature()` Returns the signature of this method
    `abstract Object` | `invoke(Object object, Object[] arguments)` Invoke this method
    `boolean` | `isAbstract()` Returns whether or not this method is abstract.
    `boolean` | `isCacheable()` Returns whether this object is cacheable
    `boolean` | `isMethod(MetaMethod method)` Returns true if this this metamethod represents the same method as the argument.
    `boolean` | `isPrivate()` Returns whether or not this method is private.
    `boolean` | `isProtected()` Returns whether or not this method is protected.
    `boolean` | `isPublic()` Returns whether or not this method is public.
    `boolean` | `isSame(MetaMethod method)`
    `boolean` | `isStatic()` Returns whether or not this method is static.
    `RuntimeException` | `processDoMethodInvokeException(Exception e, Object object, Object[] argumentArray)` This method is called when an exception occurs while invoking this method.
    `String` | `toString()` Returns a string representation of this method

    - ### Methods inherited from class org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.ParameterTypes

      `coerceArgumentsToClasses, correctArguments, getNativeParameterTypes, getParameterTypes, getPT, isValidExactMethod, isValidExactMethod, isValidMethod, isValidMethod, isVargsMethod, isVargsMethod, setParametersTypes`

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

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

- - ### Field Detail

    - #### EMPTY_ARRAY

          public static final MetaMethod[] EMPTY_ARRAY

  - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### MetaMethod

          public MetaMethod()

      Constructor for a metamethod with an empty parameter list

    - #### MetaMethod

          public MetaMethod(Class[] pt)

      Constructor wit a list of parameter classes
      Parameters:
        `pt` - A list of parameters types

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### getModifiers

          public abstract int getModifiers()

      Returns the modifiers for this method
      Returns:
        modifiers as an int.

    - #### getName

          public abstract String getName()

      Returns the name of the method represented by this class
      Returns:
        name of this method

    - #### getReturnType

          public abstract Class getReturnType()

      Access the return type for this method
      Returns:
        the return type of this method

    - #### getDeclaringClass

          public abstract CachedClass getDeclaringClass()

      Gets the class where this method is declared
      Returns:
        class of this method

    - #### invoke

          public abstract Object invoke(Object object,
                                        Object[] arguments)

      Invoke this method
      Parameters:
        `object` - The object this method should be invoked on
        `arguments` - The arguments for the method if applicable
      Returns:
        The return value of the invocation

    - #### checkParameters

          public void checkParameters(Class[] arguments)

      Checks that the given parameters are valid to call this method
      Parameters:
        `arguments` - the arguments to check
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if the parameters are not valid

    - #### isMethod

          public boolean isMethod(MetaMethod method)

      Returns true if this this metamethod represents the same method as the argument.
      Parameters:
        `method` - A metaMethod instance
      Returns:
        true if method is for the same method as this method, false otherwise.

    - #### equal

          protected static boolean equal(CachedClass[] a,
                                         Class[] b)

    - #### equal

          protected static boolean equal(CachedClass[] a,
                                         CachedClass[] b)

    - #### toString

          public String toString()

      Returns a string representation of this method
      Overrides:
        `toString` in class `Object`

    - #### clone

          public Object clone()

      Overrides:
        `clone` in class `Object`

    - #### isStatic

          public boolean isStatic()

      Returns whether or not this method is static.
      Returns:
        true if this method is static

    - #### isAbstract

          public boolean isAbstract()

      Returns whether or not this method is abstract.
      Returns:
        true if this method is abstract

    - #### isPrivate

          public final boolean isPrivate()

      Returns whether or not this method is private.
      Returns:
        true if this method is private

    - #### isProtected

          public final boolean isProtected()

      Returns whether or not this method is protected.
      Returns:
        true if this method is protected

    - #### isPublic

          public final boolean isPublic()

      Returns whether or not this method is public.
      Returns:
        true if this method is public

    - #### isSame

          public final boolean isSame(MetaMethod method)

      Parameters:
        `method` - the method to compare against
      Returns:
        true if the given method has the same name, parameters, return type and modifiers but may be defined on another type

    - #### isCacheable

          public boolean isCacheable()

      Returns whether this object is cacheable

    - #### getDescriptor

          public String getDescriptor()

      Return a descriptor of this method based on the return type and parameters of this method.

    - #### getSignature

          public String getSignature()

      Returns the signature of this method
      Returns:
        The signature of this method

    - #### getMopName

          public String getMopName()

    - #### processDoMethodInvokeException

          public final RuntimeException processDoMethodInvokeException(Exception e,
                                                                       Object object,
                                                                       Object[] argumentArray)

      This method is called when an exception occurs while invoking this method.

    - #### doMethodInvoke

          public Object doMethodInvoke(Object object,
                                       Object[] argumentArray)

      Invokes the method this object represents. This method is not final but it should be overloaded very carefully and only by generated methods there is no guarantee that it will be called
      Parameters:
        `object` - The object the method is to be called at.
        `argumentArray` - Arguments for the method invocation.
      Returns:
        The return value of the invoked method.