Question

So I have a tree implemented my custom tree structure moreless like this:

The tree class:

@XmlRootElement
public class Tree {

   Set<? extends TreeNode> nodes;
   @XmlElement
   Set<? extends TreeNode> getNodes() {...}
}

The abstract node:

public abstract class Node {
   Set<? extends Node> children;
   private String name;

   @XmlAttribute
   public String getName() {...}
   @XmlElement
   public abstract Set<? extends Node> getChildren();

}

The group (could contain groups and entities):

@XmlRootElement(name = "group")
public class Group extends Node {

    private final Set<Group> groups = new HashSet<Group>();
    private final Set<Entity> entities = new HashSet<Entity>();
    public Set<Group> getGeoups() { ... }
    public Set<Entity> getEntities() { ... }
} 

The node:

@XmlRootElement(name = "entity")
public class Entity extends Node {

    public Set<DashboardNode> getChildren() {
        return Collections.<DashboardNode> emptySet();
    }
}

My problem is, that JAXB doesn’t use diffrent names for groups and entities. I would like to get result similar to:

<tree>
   <node>
       <group>
            <group>
                <entity/>
            </group>
       </group>
   </node>
   <node>
       <group>
           <entity/>
       </group>
       <group>
       </group>
       <entity/>
   </node>
</tree>

And I get this instead:

<tree>
   <node>
       <children>
            <children>
                <children/>
            </children>
       </children>
   </node>
   (...)
</tree>

IF i remove the annotation in my abstract node class on the getChildren() method I would reveive only this:

<tree>
   <node>
   </node>
  <node>
   </node>
</tree>

Answer 1

Have a look at the @XmlElements annotation, adding a suitable one of these to the children property of Node should achieve what you’re after.