Re: use case for extending enum, but this is not possible in java
On 15/06/14 00:24, Laura Schmidt wrote:
In an application, there is an enum ListCommand that enumerates the
commands a user may execute on list entries:
public enum ListCommand
{
OPEN,
EDIT,
DELETE;
}
There is an interface that uses this enum:
public interface ListCommandProcessor
{
void onListCommand (ListCommand cmd);
}
And there is a generic Listing class that is used to show customized
lists in the GUI and which uses the above interface:
public class Listing<T>
{
...
ListCommandProcessor processor;
...
}
So far, so good.
Now I am making a cut: The generic class Listing<T> should be moved
into a generic java library, so that it can be used by different
applications. So I also need to move the interface ListCommandProcesor
into this library, and this would implicate that I also move the enum
ListCommand into the library. But the enum ListCommand ist application
specific. If I move it to the library, it must be extendable somehow.
Does your Listing class demand anything of ListCommand? Does it even
require it to be an enum? If not, does this help?:
// In library
public interface Processor<E> {
void onListCommand(E cmd); // inappropriate name now?
}
public class Listing<T, E> {
Processor<E> processor;
public void setProcessor(Processor<E> processor) {
this.processor = processor;
}
}
// In application
public enum AppListCommand {
OPEN, CLOSE, STUFF;
}
public class MyApp extends Processor<AppListCommand> {
{
Listing<XYZ, AppListCommand> listing = ...;
listing.setProcessor(this);
}
public void onListCommand(AppListCommand cmd) {
switch (cmd) { ... }
}
}
Depending on unspecified factors, you might be able to use Processor<?
super E>, or have to use Listing<T, E extends Enum<E>>.
--
ss at comp dot lancs dot ac dot uk