org.apache.commons.beanutils.converters
Class ClassReloader

java.lang.Object
  java.lang.ClassLoader
      org.apache.commons.beanutils.converters.ClassReloader

public class ClassReloader
extends ClassLoader

A special classloader useful for testing j2ee-like scenarios.

In some tests we want to be able to emulate "container" frameworks, where code runs in a hierarchy of classloaders, and certain classes may be loaded by various classloaders in the hierarchy.

Normally this is done by having certain jars or class-file-directories in the classpath of some classloaders but not others. This is quite difficult difficult to integrate with the build process for the unit tests though; compiling certain classes and having the output go into places that is not in the default classpath for the unit tests would be a major pain.

So this class takes a sneaky alternative approach: it can grab any class already loaded by a parent classloader and reload that class via this classloader. The effect is exactly as if a class (or jar file) had been present in the classpath for a container's "shared" classloader and been present in the component-specific classpath too, without any messing about with the way unit test code is compiled or executed.

Constructor Summary

ClassReloader(ClassLoader parent)

Method Summary

Class

reload(Class clazz) Given a class already in the classpath of a parent classloader, reload that class via this classloader.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.ClassLoader

clearAssertionStatus, defineClass, defineClass, defineClass, defineClass, definePackage, findClass, findLibrary, findLoadedClass, findResource, findResources, findSystemClass, getPackage, getPackages, getParent, getResource, getResourceAsStream, getResources, getSystemClassLoader, getSystemResource, getSystemResourceAsStream, getSystemResources, loadClass, loadClass, resolveClass, setClassAssertionStatus, setDefaultAssertionStatus, setPackageAssertionStatus, setSigners

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

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

Constructor Detail

ClassReloader

public ClassReloader(ClassLoader parent)

Method Detail

reload

public Class reload(Class clazz)
             throws FileNotFoundException,
                    IOException

Given a class already in the classpath of a parent classloader, reload that class via this classloader.

Throws:

FileNotFoundException

IOException