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PropertyEditorManager.javaAPI DocJava SE 5 API6493Fri Aug 26 14:56:58 BST 2005java.beans

PropertyEditorManager

public class PropertyEditorManager extends Object
The PropertyEditorManager can be used to locate a property editor for any given type name. This property editor must support the java.beans.PropertyEditor interface for editing a given object.

The PropertyEditorManager uses three techniques for locating an editor for a given type. First, it provides a registerEditor method to allow an editor to be specifically registered for a given type. Second it tries to locate a suitable class by adding "Editor" to the full qualified classname of the given type (e.g. "foo.bah.FozEditor"). Finally it takes the simple classname (without the package name) adds "Editor" to it and looks in a search-path of packages for a matching class.

So for an input class foo.bah.Fred, the PropertyEditorManager would first look in its tables to see if an editor had been registered for foo.bah.Fred and if so use that. Then it will look for a foo.bah.FredEditor class. Then it will look for (say) standardEditorsPackage.FredEditor class.

Default PropertyEditors will be provided for the Java primitive types "boolean", "byte", "short", "int", "long", "float", and "double"; and for the classes java.lang.String. java.awt.Color, and java.awt.Font.

Fields Summary
private static String[]
searchPath
private static Hashtable
registry
Constructors Summary
Methods Summary
public static synchronized java.beans.PropertyEditorfindEditor(java.lang.Class targetType)
Locate a value editor for a given target type.

param
targetType The Class object for the type to be edited
return
An editor object for the given target class. The result is null if no suitable editor can be found.

	initialize();
	Class editorClass = (Class)registry.get(targetType);
	if (editorClass != null) {
	    try {
		Object o = editorClass.newInstance();
        	return (PropertyEditor)o;
	    } catch (Exception ex) {
	 	System.err.println("Couldn't instantiate type editor \"" +
			editorClass.getName() + "\" : " + ex);
	    }
	}

	// Now try adding "Editor" to the class name.

	String editorName = targetType.getName() + "Editor";
	try {
	    return (PropertyEditor) Introspector.instantiate(targetType, editorName);
	} catch (Exception ex) {
	   // Silently ignore any errors.
	}

	// Now try looking for <searchPath>.fooEditor
	editorName = targetType.getName();
   	while (editorName.indexOf('.") > 0) {
	    editorName = editorName.substring(editorName.indexOf('.")+1);
	}
	for (int i = 0; i < searchPath.length; i++) {
	    String name = searchPath[i] + "." + editorName + "Editor";
	    try {
	        return (PropertyEditor) Introspector.instantiate(targetType, name);
	    } catch (Exception ex) {
	       // Silently ignore any errors.
	    }
	}

	// We couldn't find a suitable Editor.
	return null;
public static synchronized java.lang.String[]getEditorSearchPath()
Gets the package names that will be searched for property editors.

return
The array of package names that will be searched in order to find property editors.

The default value for this array is implementation-dependent, e.g. Sun implementation initially sets to {"sun.beans.editors"}.

	// Return a copy of the searchPath.
	String result[] = new String[searchPath.length];
	for (int i = 0; i < searchPath.length; i++) {
	    result[i] = searchPath[i];
	}
	return result;
private static synchronized voidinitialize()

	if (registry != null) {
	    return;
	}
	registry = new java.util.Hashtable();
	load(Byte.TYPE, "ByteEditor");
	load(Short.TYPE, "ShortEditor");
	load(Integer.TYPE, "IntEditor");
	load(Long.TYPE ,"LongEditor");
	load(Boolean.TYPE, "BoolEditor");
	load(Float.TYPE, "FloatEditor");
	load(Double.TYPE, "DoubleEditor");
private static synchronized voidload(java.lang.Class targetType, java.lang.String name)

	String editorName = name;
	for (int i = 0; i < searchPath.length; i++) {
	    try {
	        editorName = searchPath[i] + "." + name;
	        Class cls = Class.forName(editorName);
	        registry.put(targetType, cls);
		return;
	    } catch (Exception ex) {
		// Drop through and try next package.
	    }
	}
	// This shouldn't happen.
	System.err.println("load of " + editorName + " failed");
public static voidregisterEditor(java.lang.Class targetType, java.lang.Class editorClass)
Register an editor class to be used to edit values of a given target class.

First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertiesAccess method is called. This could result in a SecurityException.

param
targetType the Class object of the type to be edited
param
editorClass the Class object of the editor class. If this is null, then any existing definition will be removed.
exception
SecurityException if a security manager exists and its checkPropertiesAccess method doesn't allow setting of system properties.
see
SecurityManager#checkPropertiesAccess

	SecurityManager sm = System.getSecurityManager();
	if (sm != null) {
	    sm.checkPropertiesAccess();
	}
	initialize();
	if (editorClass == null) {
	    registry.remove(targetType);
	} else {
	    registry.put(targetType, editorClass);
	}
public static synchronized voidsetEditorSearchPath(java.lang.String[] path)
Change the list of package names that will be used for finding property editors.

First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertiesAccess method is called. This could result in a SecurityException.

param
path Array of package names.
exception
SecurityException if a security manager exists and its checkPropertiesAccess method doesn't allow setting of system properties.
see
SecurityManager#checkPropertiesAccess

	SecurityManager sm = System.getSecurityManager();
	if (sm != null) {
	    sm.checkPropertiesAccess();
	}
	initialize();
	if (path == null) {
	    path = new String[0];
	}
	searchPath = path;