java.beans

## Class PropertyDescriptor

- java.lang.Object
- - java.beans.FeatureDescriptor
  - - java.beans.PropertyDescriptor

- Direct Known Subclasses:
    IndexedPropertyDescriptor

      public class PropertyDescriptor
      extends FeatureDescriptor

  A PropertyDescriptor describes one property that a Java Bean exports via a pair of accessor methods.

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName, Class<?> beanClass)` Constructs a PropertyDescriptor for a property that follows the standard Java convention by having getFoo and setFoo accessor methods.
    `PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName, Class<?> beanClass, String readMethodName, String writeMethodName)` This constructor takes the name of a simple property, and method names for reading and writing the property.
    `PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName, Method readMethod, Method writeMethod)` This constructor takes the name of a simple property, and Method objects for reading and writing the property.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `PropertyEditor` | `createPropertyEditor(Object bean)` Constructs an instance of a property editor using the current property editor class.
    `boolean` | `equals(Object obj)` Compares this `PropertyDescriptor` against the specified object.
    `Class<?>` | `getPropertyEditorClass()` Gets any explicit PropertyEditor Class that has been registered for this property.
    `Class<?>` | `getPropertyType()` Returns the Java type info for the property.
    `Method` | `getReadMethod()` Gets the method that should be used to read the property value.
    `Method` | `getWriteMethod()` Gets the method that should be used to write the property value.
    `int` | `hashCode()` Returns a hash code value for the object.
    `boolean` | `isBound()` Updates to "bound" properties will cause a "PropertyChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
    `boolean` | `isConstrained()` Attempted updates to "Constrained" properties will cause a "VetoableChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
    `void` | `setBound(boolean bound)` Updates to "bound" properties will cause a "PropertyChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
    `void` | `setConstrained(boolean constrained)` Attempted updates to "Constrained" properties will cause a "VetoableChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
    `void` | `setPropertyEditorClass(Class<?> propertyEditorClass)` Normally PropertyEditors will be found using the PropertyEditorManager.
    `void` | `setReadMethod(Method readMethod)` Sets the method that should be used to read the property value.
    `void` | `setWriteMethod(Method writeMethod)` Sets the method that should be used to write the property value.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.beans.FeatureDescriptor

      `attributeNames, getDisplayName, getName, getShortDescription, getValue, isExpert, isHidden, isPreferred, setDisplayName, setExpert, setHidden, setName, setPreferred, setShortDescription, setValue, toString`

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

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

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### PropertyDescriptor

          public PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName,
                                    Class<?> beanClass)
                             throws IntrospectionException

      Constructs a PropertyDescriptor for a property that follows the standard Java convention by having getFoo and setFoo accessor methods. Thus if the argument name is "fred", it will assume that the writer method is "setFred" and the reader method is "getFred" (or "isFred" for a boolean property). Note that the property name should start with a lower case character, which will be capitalized in the method names.
      Parameters:
        `propertyName` - The programmatic name of the property.
        `beanClass` - The Class object for the target bean. For example sun.beans.OurButton.class.
      Throws:
        `IntrospectionException` - if an exception occurs during introspection.

    - #### PropertyDescriptor

          public PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName,
                                    Class<?> beanClass,
                                    String readMethodName,
                                    String writeMethodName)
                             throws IntrospectionException

      This constructor takes the name of a simple property, and method names for reading and writing the property.
      Parameters:
        `propertyName` - The programmatic name of the property.
        `beanClass` - The Class object for the target bean. For example sun.beans.OurButton.class.
        `readMethodName` - The name of the method used for reading the property value. May be null if the property is write-only.
        `writeMethodName` - The name of the method used for writing the property value. May be null if the property is read-only.
      Throws:
        `IntrospectionException` - if an exception occurs during introspection.

    - #### PropertyDescriptor

          public PropertyDescriptor(String propertyName,
                                    Method readMethod,
                                    Method writeMethod)
                             throws IntrospectionException

      This constructor takes the name of a simple property, and Method objects for reading and writing the property.
      Parameters:
        `propertyName` - The programmatic name of the property.
        `readMethod` - The method used for reading the property value. May be null if the property is write-only.
        `writeMethod` - The method used for writing the property value. May be null if the property is read-only.
      Throws:
        `IntrospectionException` - if an exception occurs during introspection.

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### getPropertyType

          public Class<?> getPropertyType()

      Returns the Java type info for the property. Note that the `Class` object may describe primitive Java types such as `int`. This type is returned by the read method or is used as the parameter type of the write method. Returns `null` if the type is an indexed property that does not support non-indexed access.
      Returns:
        the `Class` object that represents the Java type info, or `null` if the type cannot be determined

    - #### getReadMethod

          public Method getReadMethod()

      Gets the method that should be used to read the property value.
      Returns:
        The method that should be used to read the property value. May return null if the property can't be read.

    - #### setReadMethod

          public void setReadMethod(Method readMethod)
                             throws IntrospectionException

      Sets the method that should be used to read the property value.
      Parameters:
        `readMethod` - The new read method.
      Throws:
        `IntrospectionException` - if the read method is invalid

    - #### getWriteMethod

          public Method getWriteMethod()

      Gets the method that should be used to write the property value.
      Returns:
        The method that should be used to write the property value. May return null if the property can't be written.

    - #### setWriteMethod

          public void setWriteMethod(Method writeMethod)
                              throws IntrospectionException

      Sets the method that should be used to write the property value.
      Parameters:
        `writeMethod` - The new write method.
      Throws:
        `IntrospectionException` - if the write method is invalid

    - #### isBound

          public boolean isBound()

      Updates to "bound" properties will cause a "PropertyChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
      Returns:
        True if this is a bound property.

    - #### setBound

          public void setBound(boolean bound)

      Updates to "bound" properties will cause a "PropertyChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
      Parameters:
        `bound` - True if this is a bound property.

    - #### isConstrained

          public boolean isConstrained()

      Attempted updates to "Constrained" properties will cause a "VetoableChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
      Returns:
        True if this is a constrained property.

    - #### setConstrained

          public void setConstrained(boolean constrained)

      Attempted updates to "Constrained" properties will cause a "VetoableChange" event to get fired when the property is changed.
      Parameters:
        `constrained` - True if this is a constrained property.

    - #### setPropertyEditorClass

          public void setPropertyEditorClass(Class<?> propertyEditorClass)

      Normally PropertyEditors will be found using the PropertyEditorManager. However if for some reason you want to associate a particular PropertyEditor with a given property, then you can do it with this method.
      Parameters:
        `propertyEditorClass` - The Class for the desired PropertyEditor.

    - #### getPropertyEditorClass

          public Class<?> getPropertyEditorClass()

      Gets any explicit PropertyEditor Class that has been registered for this property.
      Returns:
        Any explicit PropertyEditor Class that has been registered for this property. Normally this will return "null", indicating that no special editor has been registered, so the PropertyEditorManager should be used to locate a suitable PropertyEditor.

    - #### createPropertyEditor

          public PropertyEditor createPropertyEditor(Object bean)

      Constructs an instance of a property editor using the current property editor class.

      If the property editor class has a public constructor that takes an Object argument then it will be invoked using the bean parameter as the argument. Otherwise, the default constructor will be invoked.

      Parameters:
        `bean` - the source object
      Returns:
        a property editor instance or null if a property editor has not been defined or cannot be created
      Since:
        1.5

    - #### equals

          public boolean equals(Object obj)

      Compares this `PropertyDescriptor` against the specified object. Returns true if the objects are the same. Two `PropertyDescriptor`s are the same if the read, write, property types, property editor and flags are equivalent.
      Overrides:
        `equals` in class `Object`
      Parameters:
        `obj` - the reference object with which to compare.
      Returns:
        `true` if this object is the same as the obj argument; `false` otherwise.
      Since:
        1.4
      See Also:
        `Object.hashCode()`, `HashMap`

    - #### hashCode

          public int hashCode()

      Returns a hash code value for the object. See `Object.hashCode()` for a complete description.
      Overrides:
        `hashCode` in class `Object`
      Returns:
        a hash code value for this object.
      Since:
        1.5
      See Also:
        `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`, `System.identityHashCode(java.lang.Object)`

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