net.sf.mmm.util.transferobject.api

Interface TransferObjectUtil

All Superinterfaces:

TransferObjectUtilLimited

All Known Implementing Classes:

TransferObjectUtilImpl

@ComponentSpecification
public interface TransferObjectUtil
extends TransferObjectUtilLimited

This is the interface for a collection of utility functions to deal with AbstractTransferObjects.

Since:

3.1.0

Author:

Joerg Hohwiller (hohwille at users.sourceforge.net)

See Also:

TransferObjectUtilImpl.getInstance()

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> TO	convertFromEntity(ENTITY entity, Class<TO> toType) This method converts the given PersistenceEntity to the corresponding transfer-object identified by the given Class.
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> List<TO>	convertFromEntityList(List<ENTITY> entityList, Class<TO> toType) Variant of convertFromEntity(PersistenceEntity, Class) for a List.
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> Set<TO>	convertFromEntitySet(Set<ENTITY> entitySet, Class<TO> toType) Variant of convertFromEntity(PersistenceEntity, Class) for a Set.
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> ENTITY	convertToEntity(TO transferObject, Class<ENTITY> entityType) This method converts the given ETO to the corresponding PersistenceEntity identified by the given Class.
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> List<ENTITY>	convertToEntityList(List<TO> transferObjects, Class<ENTITY> entityType) Variant of convertToEntity(EntityTo, Class) for a List.
<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> Set<ENTITY>	convertToEntitySet(Set<TO> transferObjects, Class<ENTITY> entityType) Variant of convertToEntity(EntityTo, Class) for a Set.
void	updateModificationCounter(Object container, boolean remove) This method recursively updates all modification counters of the ETOs contained in the given container.

Methods inherited from interface net.sf.mmm.util.transferobject.api.TransferObjectUtilLimited

clone, newInstance

Method Detail

convertFromEntity

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> TO convertFromEntity(ENTITY entity,
                                                                                       Class<TO> toType)

This method converts the given PersistenceEntity to the corresponding transfer-object identified by the given Class.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to convert.

TO - is the generic type of the transfer-object to create.

Parameters:

entity - is the PersistenceEntity to convert.

toType - is the Class reflecting the ETO to create.

Returns:

an instance of toType with the values of the given entity.

convertFromEntityList

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> List<TO> convertFromEntityList(List<ENTITY> entityList,
                                                                                                 Class<TO> toType)

Variant of convertFromEntity(PersistenceEntity, Class) for a List.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to convert.

TO - is the generic type of the transfer-object to create.

Parameters:

entityList - is the List of entities to convert.

toType - is the Class reflecting the ETO to create.

Returns:

a List with all entities from entityList converted to the given toType.

convertFromEntitySet

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> Set<TO> convertFromEntitySet(Set<ENTITY> entitySet,
                                                                                               Class<TO> toType)

Variant of convertFromEntity(PersistenceEntity, Class) for a Set.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to convert.

TO - is the generic type of the transfer-object to create.

Parameters:

entitySet - is the Set of entities to convert.

toType - is the Class reflecting the ETO to create.

Returns:

a Set with all entities from entitySet converted to the given toType.

convertToEntity

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> ENTITY convertToEntity(TO transferObject,
                                                                                         Class<ENTITY> entityType)

This method converts the given ETO to the corresponding PersistenceEntity identified by the given Class.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to create.

TO - is the generic type of the ETO to convert.

Parameters:

transferObject - is the ETO to convert.

entityType - is the Class reflecting the PersistenceEntity to create.

Returns:

an instance of entityType with the values of the given transferObject.

convertToEntityList

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> List<ENTITY> convertToEntityList(List<TO> transferObjects,
                                                                                                   Class<ENTITY> entityType)

Variant of convertToEntity(EntityTo, Class) for a List.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to create.

TO - is the generic type of the ETO to convert.

Parameters:

transferObjects - is the List of ETOs to convert.

entityType - is the Class reflecting the PersistenceEntity to create.

Returns:

a List with all ETOs from transferObjects converted to the given entityType.

convertToEntitySet

<ID,ENTITY extends PersistenceEntity<ID>,TO extends EntityTo<ID>> Set<ENTITY> convertToEntitySet(Set<TO> transferObjects,
                                                                                                 Class<ENTITY> entityType)

Variant of convertToEntity(EntityTo, Class) for a Set.

Type Parameters:

ID - is the generic type of the ID.

ENTITY - is the generic type of the entity to create.

TO - is the generic type of the ETO to convert.

Parameters:

transferObjects - is the Set of ETOs to convert.

entityType - is the Class reflecting the PersistenceEntity to create.

Returns:

a Set with all ETOs from transferObjects converted to the given entityType.

updateModificationCounter

void updateModificationCounter(Object container,
                               boolean remove)

This method recursively updates all modification counters of the ETOs contained in the given container.
The method convertFromEntity(PersistenceEntity, Class) is typically used before the transaction has been closed (by the logic layer of the application). However, JPA implementations like hibernate only update the modification counter after the transaction has been closed and the new modification counters are available from the DB. EntityTo and this method offer the perfect solution to this problem. All you have to do is call this method once for the transfer object you want to send to the client after the transaction has been committed and before the object gets serialized.
ATTENTION:
This method (or better its current default implementation) assumes that you do not have cyclic dependencies in your TransferObjectUtil. Otherwise this can lead to an infinity loop. However, having cycles in TransferObjects is typically a design flaw. If you think different you can try to convince us so we will add support for this.

Parameters:

container - is the EntityTo to update or any other TransferObject, bean, Collection, or Map potentially containing an EntityTo.

remove - - true to remove any internal references from ETOs so they get dereferences and garbage-collected, false otherwise.

See Also:

EntityTo.getModificationCounter()