Getting Error While Using Reflection to get Field Data

Question

I am trying to fetch Field name as well as field value using Reflection.

I am passing dynamic classes as per operation needed.

I have made a method to fetch field name and value, i am getting field name but not getting field value. when I am using following code it gives me an error java.lang.IllegalAccessException stating that can not access private member of class.

Following is my UPDATED code :

public String SerializeCommand(ICommand command){

    StringBuilder command_text = new StringBuilder();
    Field [] f = command.getClass().getDeclaredFields();
    for(Field field : f){
        field.setAccessible(true);
        command_text.append(field.getName() + ",");
        try {
            System.out.println(field.get(command.getClass()));
        } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    return command_text.toString();
}

Here ICommand is a class name for it, suppose if operation is add then add class will be passed.

Any Idea what to do to solve this problem.

Answer 1

Please try this code.

public String SerializeCommand(ICommand command){

    StringBuilder command_text = new StringBuilder();
    Field [] f = command.getClass().getDeclaredFields();
    try{
    for(Field field : f){
        field.setAccessible(true);
        command_text.append(field.getName() + ",");
        System.out.println("Value :: " + field.get(command));
    }
    }catch(IllegalArgumentException e){
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    return command_text.toString();
}

Answer 2

Instead of command.getClass() pass the object of command class. The value contains by object not by class

Answer 3

Java also takes care of not being able to access private members, even when doing it via reflection. But constructors, methods, and fields are AccessibleObjects, which provides a method to flag the member as being accessible although it might be private:

field.setAccessible(true);

Afterwards you can read it and even set a new value on it.

---

An edit to make it clear. Consider the following simple record class:

public class Record {
    private int length;
    private String name;
    public Record(int length, String name) {
        this.length = length;
        this.name = name;
    }
    public int getLength() { return length; }
    public String getName() { return name; }
}

And now let's write a reflection test program:

public class ReflectionTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        Record record = new Record(42, "42");
        Field[] fields = record.getClass().getDeclaredFields();
        for (Field field : fields) {
            System.out.println(field.getName() + " => " + field.get(record));
        }
    }
}

This will result in an IllegalAccessException, as the private fields cannot be accessed. Now change the foreach loop a little:

        for (Field field : fields) {
            field.setAccessible(true);
            System.out.println(field.getName() + " => " + field.get(record));
        }

This time you will see expected output:

length => 42

name => 42

Your mistake also was to call the get method on the class and not on the object. This would be like this little modification:

        for (Field field : fields) {
            field.setAccessible(true);
            System.out.println(field.getName() + " => " + field.get(record.getClass()));
        }

This time you will see an IllegalArgumentException (not an IllegalAccessException).