Retrieving the inherited attribute names/values using Java Reflection

Question

I've a Java object 'ChildObj' which is extended from 'ParentObj'. Now, if it is possible to retrieve all the attribute names and values of ChildObj, including the inherited attributes too, using Java reflection mechanism?

Class.getFields gives me the array of public attributes, and Class.getDeclaredFields gives me the array of all fields, but none of them includes the inherited fields list.

Is there any way to retrieve the inherited attributes also?

Answer 1

no, you need to write it yourself. It is a simple recursive method called on Class.getSuperClass():

public static List<Field> getAllFields(List<Field> fields, Class<?> type) {
    for (Field field: type.getDeclaredFields()) {
        fields.add(field);
    }

    if (type.getSuperclass() != null) {
        fields = getAllFields(fields, type.getSuperclass());
    }

    return fields;
}

@Test
public void getLinkedListFields() {
    System.out.println(getAllFields(new LinkedList<Field>(), LinkedList.class));
}

Answer 2

You need to call:

Class.getSuperClass().getDeclaredFields()

Recursing up the inheritance hierarchy as necessary.

Answer 3

You can try:

   Class parentClass = getClass().getSuperclass();
   if (parentClass != null) {
      parentClass.getDeclaredFields();
   }

Answer 4

 private static void addDeclaredAndInheritedFields(Class c, Collection<Field> fields) {

fields.addAll(Arrays.asList(c.getDeclaredFields())); Class superClass = c.getSuperclass(); if (c != null) { addDeclaredAndInheritedFields(superClass, fields); } }

Answer 5

    public static List<Field> getInheritedFields(Class<?> type) {
        List<Field> fields = new ArrayList<Field>();
        for (Class<?> c = type; c != null; c = c.getSuperclass()) {
            fields.addAll(Arrays.asList(c.getDeclaredFields()));
        }
        return fields;
    }