Question

I’m looking for a converter to make a reflection-style Java code from a normal Java code. I’m doing this to prevent exceptions like NoClassDefFoundError (I want to be dependent to a class, but I want Java to simply ignore the code if the library I’m using doesn’t have that dependency class).

I expect converter like this:

initial code:

com.foo.MyClass myClass = new com.foo.MyClass()
myClass.meth1();

after conversion:

Object myClass = Class.forName("com.foo.MyClass").newInstance();
myClass.getMethods("meth1").invoke(myClass);

Answer 1

You should try to avoid the use of reflection in your java code as much as you can. You can use other approaches, like the one suggested by , @mwittrock to avoid getting those NoClassDefFoundError.

You might be able to solve a problem using reflection, but you’re likely to introduce new ones in your design. Consider the performance cost as well as the verbosity of the reflection code.

The core reflection facility was
originally designed for
component-based application builder
tools… There are a few
sophisiticated applications that
require reflection. Examples include
class browsers, object inspectors,
code analysis tools, and interpretive
embedded systems… if you have any
doubt as to whether you application
falls into one of these categories, it
probably doesn’t.

Joshua Bloch, “Effective Java”, 2nd Edition.