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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #26597

can this be done with generics?

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I'd like to use the "call methods in a chain" pattern
across a class-subhierarchy, with most of the methods
defined in the base-class.

Suppose, I had two classes:

 class Foo {
    public Foo foo1() {
       /* do something very interesting ... */
       return this;
    }
    // assume there were like 100 such foo#() methods here
    //  (in practice they of course have more diverse names)
 }
 class Bar extends Foo {
    public Bar bar() {
       /* do something very interesting */
       return this;
    }
 }

And then, somewhere else:
  
  // the single-class chain works just fine:
  new Foo().foo1().foo42().foo84();

  // but if I start with a Bar, and eventually after some foo#() calls
  // want to call method bar() which is not in Foo, then I'm out of luck:
  new Bar().foo1().foo42().foo84().bar(); // doesn't work, of course!

Is there a way to use *generics* for the methods of class Foo such that
each foo#() returns the *static* type on which the compiler saw it
applied?

Alternatives, that do NOT satisfy me:
  a) use an explicit cast to (Bar) 
      ((Bar)(new Bar().foo1().foo42().foo84())).bar();
     Would turn into a nightmare, when more of Bar's 
     methods got mixed into the chain.
  b) override each of the 100 foo#()s in Bar with a Bar return-type.
     Would turn into a nightmare, when more sub-classes like Bar 
     appeared, or new methods added to Foo.
     (Note, that "bad performance" due to extra calls is NOT my concern here)
  c) add "Foo bar() { return this; }" in Foo.
     Would turn into a nightmare, when more sub-classes like Bar
     appeared (and Foo would have to reflect all subclasses' methods),
     or some chain accidentally called a subclass method on a chain
     started from some other class's instance, and compiler wouldn't
     detect the mistake.

I'm pretty sure, that this would be principially possible (as in: the 
compiler has all the information that would be needed), but I can't seem
to find an approach for how to capture the static type of the expression
on which the (non-static) method is called.

Thanks in advance!

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Thread

can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-25 00:55 +0000
  Re: can this be done with generics? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2013-11-24 21:11 -0500
    Re: can this be done with generics? Saxo <jeti789@web.de> - 2013-11-25 01:43 -0800
      Re: can this be done with generics? Saxo <jeti789@web.de> - 2013-11-25 01:47 -0800
      Re: can this be done with generics? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2013-11-26 21:32 -0500
    Re: can this be done with generics? Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2013-11-25 11:30 +0100
      Re: can this be done with generics? Saxo <jeti789@web.de> - 2013-11-25 02:36 -0800
      Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-25 10:45 +0000
      Re: can this be done with generics? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2013-11-26 21:35 -0500
        Re: can this be done with generics? Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2013-11-27 10:48 +0100
        Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-27 10:18 +0000
  Re: can this be done with generics? Patrick Roemer <sangamon@netcologne.de> - 2013-11-25 12:59 +0100
    Re: can this be done with generics? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2013-11-25 22:31 +0100
      Re: can this be done with generics? Patrick Roemer <sangamon@netcologne.de> - 2013-11-26 12:03 +0100
      Re: can this be done with generics? v_borchert@despammed.com (Volker Borchert) - 2013-11-26 21:32 +0000
        Re: can this be done with generics? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2013-11-26 23:30 +0100
      Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-27 18:53 +0000
        Re: can this be done with generics? Sebastian <news@seyweiler.dyndns.org> - 2013-11-28 22:28 +0100
          Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-30 14:21 +0000
  Re: can this be done with generics? Mike Amling <mamling@chaff.us> - 2013-11-25 09:02 -0600
    Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-26 01:04 +0000
      Re: can this be done with generics? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2013-11-26 08:16 +0100
        Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-26 20:42 +0000
    Re: can this be done with generics? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2013-11-26 21:38 -0500
      Re: can this be done with generics? Mike Amling <mamling@chaff.us> - 2013-11-27 11:05 -0600
  Re: can this be done with generics? taqmcg@gmail.com - 2013-11-25 08:36 -0800
    Re: can this be done with generics? taqmcg@gmail.com - 2013-11-25 09:04 -0800
      Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-26 00:50 +0000
        Re: can this be done with generics? Arivald <NOSPAMarivald@interia.pl> - 2013-11-26 07:10 +0100
          Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-11-27 18:58 +0000
  Re: can this be done with generics? Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2013-12-07 09:04 -0800
    Re: can this be done with generics? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2013-12-07 19:20 +0000
      Re: can this be done with generics? Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2013-12-10 11:14 -0800

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