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Handling Complex Types

Mule DevKit supports the following types:

  • int

  • float

  • long

  • byte

  • short

  • double

  • boolean

  • char

  • java.lang.Integer

  • java.lang.Float

  • java.lang.Long

  • java.lang.Byte

  • java.lang.Short

  • java.lang.Double

  • java.lang.Boolean

  • java.lang.Character

  • java.lang.String

  • java.math.BigDecimal

  • java.math.BigInteger

  • java.util.Date

  • java.lang.Class

  • java.net.URL

  • java.net.URI

You can pass other types by reference, as in the following example:

@Processor
public void receiveAComplexType(MyComplexType myComplexType) { ... }

Mule DevKit 3.3 enables you to use a processor, especially when Anypoint ™ DataMapper uses the module. DataMapper-friendly modules tend to pass information in beans, because DataMapper can extract metadata from a Java bean and from the XML. DevKit 3.3 also standardizes the way Mule passes references.

Enabling Support for Complex Type Constructions

When an @Processor method receives a complex type, the DevKit deconstructs the object, then constructs a schema that can be used to reconstruct the object. For example, rather than writing code such as the sample below, top, you can write code more quickly, as per the sample below, bottom.

<bean-builder-transformer beanClass="MyComplexType">
  <bean-property property-name="color" value="red"/>
</bean-builder-transformer>
<ns:receive-a-complex-type myComplexType-ref="#[payload]"/>
<ns:receive-a-complex-type>
    <ns:my-complex-type color="red"/>
</ns:receive-a-complex-type>

You can use the following annotations inside the complex type to control schema generation:

  • @Optional

  • @Default

Further, a complex type can have inner lists or maps of other complex types.

Standardizing Passing by Reference

DevKit 3.3 standardizes the way to pass objects by reference. Lists and maps pass objects by reference in a ref attribute in a child element, as in the following example.

@Processor
public void receiveAList(List<String> strings) { ... }
<ns:receive-a-list>
  <ns:strings ref="#[payload]"/>
</ns:receive-a-list>

In DevKit 3.3 passing a complex object also uses a ref attribute in a child element, as in the following example:

<ns:receive-a-complex-type>
    <ns:my-complex-type ref="#[payload]"/>
</ns:receive-a-complex-type>

Ignoring Fields in a Complex Type

The @Ignore annotation tells the DevKit to ignore a field inside a complex object, as in the following example

public class MyComplexType
{
    private String color;

    @Ignore
    private String description;
}

@Processor
public void receiveAComplexType(MyComplexType myComplexType) { ... }

DevKit omits the description field from the generated schema. For example, the snippet below fails because the annotation processor ignores the description.

<ns:receive-a-complex-type>
    <ns:my-complex-type color="red" description=""/>
</ns:receive-a-complex-type>