Question

I currently have the following class:

 static final class TabInfo{
   public final String tag;
   public final Class<?> clss;
   public Bundle args;

   TabInfo(String _tag, Class<?> _class, Bundle _args) {
       tag = _tag;
       clss = _class;
       args = _args;
   }
 }

of which I would like to create json out of.
In order to do this, I am using the following code:

 Gson gson= new Gson();
 Type hmType= new TypeToken<TabInfo>(){}.getType();
 String json = gson.toJson(methodToGetAnInstanceOfTabInfoClassHere, hmType);

When I am doing this, I get a java.lang.StackOverFlowError:

E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at Java.lang.StringBuffer.append(StringBuffer.java:219)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at java.io.StringWriter.write(StringWriter.java:147)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter.string(JsonWriter.java:519)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter.writeDeferredName(JsonWriter.java:387)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at com.google.gson.stream.JsonWriter.beginObject(JsonWriter.java:300)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:190)
E/AndroidRuntime(10353):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrap    E/AndroidRuntime(20692):     at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(20692):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)

So, my question is: how can I get my gson to create valid json of the java objects from class TabInfo without getting a stackoverflowerror?

Btw. as all of you can see, I have not asked that many questions before, so if you have any feedback for me on how to improve my question: let me know!

EDIT 1:
The bundle class is a standard bundle, fi:
Bundle args = new Bundle();
args.putint(“someint”, 1);

See the updated stacktrace…

EDIT 2:
If I take a single instance of a TabInfo, by using a String.class as an argument, eg:

  TabInfo test= new TabInfo("test", String.class, new Bundle());
  String result=gson.toJson(test, hmType);

Then I get the following stacktrace:

E/AndroidRuntime(22068): java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Attempted to serialize java.lang.Class: java.lang.String. Forgot to register a type adapter?
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$1.write(TypeAdapters.java:64)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapters$1.write(TypeAdapters.java:61)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.write(TypeAdapterRuntimeTypeWrapper.java:68)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$1.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:89)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.internal.bind.ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory$Adapter.write(ReflectiveTypeAdapterFactory.java:195)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.Gson.toJson(Gson.java:586)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.Gson.toJson(Gson.java:565)
E/AndroidRuntime(22068):    at com.google.gson.Gson.toJson(Gson.java:520)

Does this mean that I need to make a TypeToken for all 24 different classes that might be part of a TabInfo class? How do I resolve this?

Edit 3

Ok, thanks to @Zaske, I have found a fix for the first part of my problem. Using another class signature as shown below

static final class TabInfo{
 TabInfo(String _tag, String _class, Bundle _args) {
   tag = _tag;
   clss = _class;
   args = _args;
 }

}

Now I can make json out of it, but, when I try to do this by creating the actual HashMap < String, < Stack < TabInfo > > > then again I run into trouble.
The typetoken i use in that case is:

 Type hmType = new TypeToken<HashMap<String, Stack<TabInfo>>>(){}.getType();

So, now my final question is: how can I convert a set of tabinfo-stacks in a hashmap to json?

Edit 4
Here’s some more information:
The used Bundle class is the Bundle class used in Android to provide arguments to activities and fragments. (See http://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/Bundle.html)

If I do

 TabInfo test= new TabInfo("test", "String", new Bundle());
 //stage 1 test
 String result=gson.toJson(test);
 Log.d("new result=",result);

Then I do get my Json output (see below)

 D/new result=(20816): {"args":{"mClassLoader":{"packages":{}},"mMap":{},"mHasFds":false,"mFdsKnown":true,"mAllowFds":true},"clss":"String","tag":"test"}

However, when I try to make a Hashmap of stacks out of the TabInfo classes, then it breaks (it runs out of memory…)…

Answer 1

As I suggested the “change from class” to string,
I allow myself for the sake of our readers to answer here for the first part:
Don’t use Class as a field, but use String that will contain the full class name
TabInfo should look like:

static final class TabInfo{
   public final String tag;
   public final String clss;
   public Bundle args;

   TabInfo(String _tag, Class<?> _class, Bundle _args) {
       tag = _tag;
       clss = _class.getName();
       args = _args;
   }
 }

Regarding 2nd part:
I don’t know what Bundle class is – please provide info,
as I had to change a bit and write my own class for experiment.

Person class is:

public class Person implements Serializable {
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }
    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    public int getAge() {
        return age;
    }

    public Person() {

    }

    public Person(String name, int age) {
        super();
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }
    public void setAge(int age) {
        this.age = age;
    }
    private String name;
    private int age;
}

Main class for checking is:

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Type type = new TypeToken<HashMap<String,Stack<Person>>>(){}.getType();
        Gson gson = new Gson();
        HashMap<String,Stack<Person>> map = new HashMap<String, Stack<Person>>();
        map.put("yair", new Stack<Person>());
        map.get("yair").add(new Person("Yair",36));
        String str = gson.toJson(map,type);
        System.out.println(str);
        map = gson.fromJson(str,type);
        String str2 = gson.toJson(map,type);
        System.out.println(str2);

    }
}

Feel free to run it, you will see both str and str2 are printed just fine.

Update
I checked the Bundle class, and saw that it contains too much information (In my humble opinion) to be a simple arguments collection.
I don’t see why in the above question a simple collection cannot be used instead.
Serialization should contain as minimal data as possible
(think about cases in which you take a serialized data and store it on some storage device, or send it over the network).
So unless Bundle provides you a special functionality that a collection doesn’t – don’t use it.
As a rule of thumb remember you cannot serialize everything with Json – there are limitations (recursive data-types for example) – so yes, there will be cases where you will have to translate from one type to a JSON-serializable type.
This pattern is also used in other cases, I suggest you read more about data transfer objects