TypeInformation (Spring Data Core 2.0.9.RELEASE API)

All Known Implementing Classes:

ClassTypeInformation, ParentTypeAwareTypeInformation
```
public interface TypeInformation<S>
```
Interface to access property types and resolving generics on the way. Starting with a ClassTypeInformation you can traverse properties using getProperty(String) to access type information.

Author:

Oliver Gierke, Mark Paluch

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Default Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getActualType()` Transparently returns the `Map` value type if the type is a `Map`, returns the component type if the type `isCollectionLike()` or the simple type if none of this applies.
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getComponentType()` Returns the component type for `Collection`s or the key type for `Map`s.
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getMapValueType()` Will return the type of the value in case the underlying type is a `Map`.
`List<TypeInformation<?>>`	`getParameterTypes(Constructor<?> constructor)` Returns the `TypeInformation`s for the parameters of the given `Constructor`.
`List<TypeInformation<?>>`	`getParameterTypes(Method method)` Returns the `TypeInformation`s for the parameters of the given `Method`.
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getProperty(String property)` Returns the property information for the property with the given name.
`ClassTypeInformation<?>`	`getRawTypeInformation()` Returns a `ClassTypeInformation` to represent the `TypeInformation` of the raw type of the current instance.
`default TypeInformation<?>`	`getRequiredActualType()` Transparently returns the `Map` value type if the type is a `Map`, returns the component type if the type `isCollectionLike()` or the simple type if none of this applies.
`default TypeInformation<?>`	`getRequiredComponentType()` Returns the component type for `Collection`s, the key type for `Map`s or the single generic type if available.
`default TypeInformation<?>`	`getRequiredMapValueType()` Will return the type of the value in case the underlying type is a `Map` or throw `IllegalStateException` if the map value type cannot be resolved.
`default TypeInformation<?>`	`getRequiredProperty(String property)` Returns the property information for the property with the given name or throw `IllegalArgumentException` if the type information cannot be resolved.
`default TypeInformation<?>`	`getRequiredSuperTypeInformation(Class<?> superType)` Returns the `TypeInformation` for the given raw super type.
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getReturnType(Method method)` Returns a `TypeInformation` for the return type of the given `Method`.
`TypeInformation<?>`	`getSuperTypeInformation(Class<?> superType)` Returns the `TypeInformation` for the given raw super type.
`Class<S>`	`getType()` Returns the type of the property.
`List<TypeInformation<?>>`	`getTypeArguments()` Returns the `TypeInformation` for the type arguments of the current `TypeInformation`.
`boolean`	`isAssignableFrom(TypeInformation<?> target)` Returns if the current `TypeInformation` can be safely assigned to the given one.
`boolean`	`isCollectionLike()` Returns whether the type can be considered a collection, which means it's a container of elements, e.g. a `Collection` and `Array` or anything implementing `Iterable`.
`boolean`	`isMap()` Returns whether the property is a .
`TypeInformation<? extends S>`	`specialize(ClassTypeInformation<?> type)` Specializes the given (raw) `ClassTypeInformation` using the context of the current potentially parameterized type, basically turning the given raw type into a parameterized one.

- Method Detail
  - getParameterTypes
```
List<TypeInformation<?>> getParameterTypes(Constructor<?> constructor)
```
    Returns the TypeInformations for the parameters of the given Constructor.
    
    Parameters:
    
    constructor - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
  - getProperty
```
@Nullable
TypeInformation<?> getProperty(String property)
```
    Returns the property information for the property with the given name. Supports property traversal through dot notation.
    
    Parameters:
    
    property -
    
    Returns:
  - getRequiredProperty
```
default TypeInformation<?> getRequiredProperty(String property)
```
    Returns the property information for the property with the given name or throw IllegalArgumentException if the type information cannot be resolved. Supports property traversal through dot notation.
    
    Parameters:
    
    property -
    
    Returns:
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the type information cannot be resolved.
    
    Since:
    
    2.0
  - isCollectionLike
```
boolean isCollectionLike()
```
    Returns whether the type can be considered a collection, which means it's a container of elements, e.g. a Collection and Array or anything implementing Iterable. If this returns true you can expect getComponentType() to return a non-null value.
    
    Returns:
  - getComponentType
```
@Nullable
TypeInformation<?> getComponentType()
```
    Returns the component type for Collections or the key type for Maps.
    
    Returns:
  - getRequiredComponentType
```
default TypeInformation<?> getRequiredComponentType()
```
    Returns the component type for Collections, the key type for Maps or the single generic type if available. Throws IllegalStateException if the component value type cannot be resolved.
    
    Returns:
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalStateException - if the component type cannot be resolved, e.g. if a raw type is used or the type is not generic in the first place.
    
    Since:
    
    2.0
  - isMap
```
boolean isMap()
```
    Returns whether the property is a . If this returns true you can expect getComponentType() as well as getMapValueType() to return something not null.
    
    Returns:
  - getMapValueType
```
@Nullable
TypeInformation<?> getMapValueType()
```
    Will return the type of the value in case the underlying type is a Map.
    
    Returns:
  - getRequiredMapValueType
```
default TypeInformation<?> getRequiredMapValueType()
```
    Will return the type of the value in case the underlying type is a Map or throw IllegalStateException if the map value type cannot be resolved.
    
    Returns:
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalStateException - if the map value type cannot be resolved, usually due to the current Map type being a raw one.
    
    Since:
    
    2.0
  - getType
```
Class<S> getType()
```
    Returns the type of the property. Will resolve generics and the generic context of
    
    Returns:
  - getRawTypeInformation
```
ClassTypeInformation<?> getRawTypeInformation()
```
    Returns a ClassTypeInformation to represent the TypeInformation of the raw type of the current instance.
    
    Returns:
  - getActualType
```
@Nullable
TypeInformation<?> getActualType()
```
    Transparently returns the Map value type if the type is a Map, returns the component type if the type isCollectionLike() or the simple type if none of this applies.
    
    Returns:
    
    the map value, collection component type or the current type, null it the current type is a raw Map or Collection.
  - getRequiredActualType
```
default TypeInformation<?> getRequiredActualType()
```
    Transparently returns the Map value type if the type is a Map, returns the component type if the type isCollectionLike() or the simple type if none of this applies.
    
    Returns:
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the current type is a raw Map or Collection and no value or component type is available.
    
    Since:
    
    2.0
  - getReturnType
```
TypeInformation<?> getReturnType(Method method)
```
    Returns a TypeInformation for the return type of the given Method. Will potentially resolve generics information against the current types type parameter bindings.
    
    Parameters:
    
    method - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
  - getParameterTypes
```
List<TypeInformation<?>> getParameterTypes(Method method)
```
    Returns the TypeInformations for the parameters of the given Method.
    
    Parameters:
    
    method - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
  - getSuperTypeInformation
```
@Nullable
TypeInformation<?> getSuperTypeInformation(Class<?> superType)
```
    Returns the TypeInformation for the given raw super type.
    
    Parameters:
    
    superType - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
    
    the TypeInformation for the given raw super type or null in case the current TypeInformation does not implement the given type.
  - getRequiredSuperTypeInformation
```
default TypeInformation<?> getRequiredSuperTypeInformation(Class<?> superType)
```
    Returns the TypeInformation for the given raw super type.
    
    Parameters:
    
    superType - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
    
    the TypeInformation for the given raw super type.
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - in case the current TypeInformation does not implement the given type.
    
    Since:
    
    2.0
  - isAssignableFrom
```
boolean isAssignableFrom(TypeInformation<?> target)
```
    Returns if the current TypeInformation can be safely assigned to the given one. Mimics semantics of Class.isAssignableFrom(Class) but takes generics into account. Thus it will allow to detect that a List<Long> is assignable to List<? extends Number>.
    
    Parameters:
    
    target -
    
    Returns:
  - getTypeArguments
```
List<TypeInformation<?>> getTypeArguments()
```
    Returns the TypeInformation for the type arguments of the current TypeInformation.
    
    Returns:
  - specialize
```
TypeInformation<? extends S> specialize(ClassTypeInformation<?> type)
```
    Specializes the given (raw) ClassTypeInformation using the context of the current potentially parameterized type, basically turning the given raw type into a parameterized one. Will return the given type as is if no generics are involved.
    
    Parameters:
    
    type - must not be null.
    
    Returns:
    
    will never be null.

Interface TypeInformation<S>

Method Summary

Method Detail

getParameterTypes

getProperty

getRequiredProperty

isCollectionLike

getComponentType

getRequiredComponentType

isMap

getMapValueType

getRequiredMapValueType

getType

getRawTypeInformation

getActualType

getRequiredActualType

getReturnType

getParameterTypes

getSuperTypeInformation

getRequiredSuperTypeInformation

isAssignableFrom

getTypeArguments

specialize