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A Java API for generating .java source files.

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Quick Overview

JavaPoet is a Java API for generating .java source files. It provides a fluent interface to create Java classes, interfaces, methods, and fields programmatically. JavaPoet is particularly useful for code generation tasks, such as creating boilerplate code or implementing annotation processors.

Pros

  • Easy-to-use fluent API for generating Java code
  • Handles formatting and indentation automatically
  • Supports Java language features up to Java 17
  • Well-maintained and actively developed by Square

Cons

  • Limited to generating Java source files only
  • May have a learning curve for complex code generation tasks
  • Not suitable for parsing or modifying existing Java code
  • Requires manual management of imports and package declarations

Code Examples

  1. Creating a simple class:
TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
        .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
        .returns(void.class)
        .addParameter(String[].class, "args")
        .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Hello, JavaPoet!")
        .build())
    .build();
  1. Generating a method with parameters and a return type:
MethodSpec sum = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("sum")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
    .returns(int.class)
    .addParameter(int.class, "a")
    .addParameter(int.class, "b")
    .addStatement("return a + b")
    .build();
  1. Creating an interface:
TypeSpec anInterface = TypeSpec.interfaceBuilder("MyInterface")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("myMethod")
        .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
        .returns(void.class)
        .build())
    .build();

Getting Started

To use JavaPoet in your project, add the following dependency to your build file:

For Maven:

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.squareup</groupId>
  <artifactId>javapoet</artifactId>
  <version>1.13.0</version>
</dependency>

For Gradle:

implementation 'com.squareup:javapoet:1.13.0'

Then, you can start using JavaPoet to generate Java code:

JavaFile javaFile = JavaFile.builder("com.example", helloWorld)
    .build();

javaFile.writeTo(System.out);

This will print the generated Java code to the console. To write it to a file, use javaFile.writeTo(new File("path/to/output")); instead.

Competitor Comparisons

10,420

A collection of source code generators for Java.

Pros of Auto

  • Broader scope with multiple annotation processors for common tasks
  • Integrates well with other Google libraries and frameworks
  • More comprehensive code generation capabilities

Cons of Auto

  • Steeper learning curve due to multiple components
  • May introduce unnecessary complexity for simpler projects
  • Less flexible for custom code generation needs

Code Comparison

Auto (Value):

@AutoValue
abstract class Person {
  abstract String name();
  abstract int age();

  static Person create(String name, int age) {
    return new AutoValue_Person(name, age);
  }
}

JavaPoet:

TypeSpec person = TypeSpec.classBuilder("Person")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addField(String.class, "name", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addField(int.class, "age", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.constructorBuilder()
        .addParameter(String.class, "name")
        .addParameter(int.class, "age")
        .addStatement("this.name = name")
        .addStatement("this.age = age")
        .build())
    .build();

Auto generates code based on annotations, while JavaPoet provides a programmatic API for creating Java source files. Auto is more declarative, while JavaPoet offers finer control over generated code structure.

Java 1-21 Parser and Abstract Syntax Tree for Java with advanced analysis functionalities.

Pros of JavaParser

  • More comprehensive Java parsing and manipulation capabilities
  • Supports analyzing and modifying existing Java code
  • Provides a full Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) representation

Cons of JavaParser

  • Steeper learning curve due to its complexity
  • Larger library size and potential performance overhead
  • May be overkill for simple code generation tasks

Code Comparison

JavaParser example:

CompilationUnit cu = StaticJavaParser.parse(new File("Example.java"));
cu.getClassByName("Example")
  .ifPresent(c -> c.addMethod("newMethod", Modifier.Keyword.PUBLIC));

JavaPoet example:

MethodSpec method = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("newMethod")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .returns(void.class)
    .build();
TypeSpec clazz = TypeSpec.classBuilder("Example")
    .addMethod(method)
    .build();

JavaParser offers more advanced parsing and manipulation of existing Java code, while JavaPoet focuses on generating new Java code from scratch. JavaParser provides a full AST representation, making it more suitable for complex code analysis and transformation tasks. JavaPoet, on the other hand, offers a simpler API for code generation, making it easier to use for straightforward code creation scenarios.

General data-binding package for Jackson (2.x): works on streaming API (core) implementation(s)

Pros of jackson-databind

  • More comprehensive data binding and serialization capabilities
  • Supports a wider range of data formats (JSON, XML, YAML, etc.)
  • Larger community and ecosystem with numerous extensions

Cons of jackson-databind

  • Steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set
  • Potentially higher memory footprint for simple use cases
  • More complex configuration for advanced scenarios

Code Comparison

jackson-databind:

ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
MyObject obj = mapper.readValue(jsonString, MyObject.class);
String json = mapper.writeValueAsString(obj);

JavaPoet:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
    .returns(void.class)
    .addParameter(String[].class, "args")
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Hello, JavaPoet!")
    .build();

While jackson-databind focuses on data serialization and deserialization, JavaPoet is designed for Java code generation. jackson-databind is more suitable for working with various data formats and complex object mappings, while JavaPoet excels in generating Java source files programmatically. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project.

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Very spicy additions to the Java programming language.

Pros of Lombok

  • Reduces boilerplate code significantly, enhancing code readability
  • Provides a wide range of annotations for common Java patterns
  • Integrates seamlessly with IDEs and build tools

Cons of Lombok

  • Requires additional setup and IDE plugins for full functionality
  • Can make debugging more challenging due to generated code
  • May lead to overuse of annotations, potentially obscuring class structure

Code Comparison

Lombok:

@Data
@AllArgsConstructor
public class Person {
    private String name;
    private int age;
}

JavaPoet:

TypeSpec person = TypeSpec.classBuilder("Person")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addField(String.class, "name", Modifier.PRIVATE)
    .addField(int.class, "age", Modifier.PRIVATE)
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.constructorBuilder()
        .addParameter(String.class, "name")
        .addParameter(int.class, "age")
        .addStatement("this.name = name")
        .addStatement("this.age = age")
        .build())
    .build();

Lombok focuses on reducing boilerplate through annotations, while JavaPoet provides programmatic generation of Java source files. Lombok is more suited for simplifying existing code, whereas JavaPoet is better for generating new code structures dynamically.

23,230

A Java serialization/deserialization library to convert Java Objects into JSON and back

Pros of Gson

  • Specialized for JSON serialization/deserialization
  • Extensive documentation and community support
  • Flexible and customizable for complex JSON structures

Cons of Gson

  • Limited to JSON processing, less versatile for general code generation
  • May require more manual configuration for complex scenarios
  • Potentially slower performance for large-scale JSON operations

Code Comparison

Gson example:

Gson gson = new Gson();
String json = gson.toJson(myObject);
MyClass obj = gson.fromJson(json, MyClass.class);

JavaPoet example:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
    .returns(void.class)
    .addParameter(String[].class, "args")
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Hello, JavaPoet!")
    .build();

Key Differences

  • JavaPoet focuses on Java code generation, while Gson specializes in JSON processing
  • Gson is more suitable for data serialization/deserialization tasks
  • JavaPoet offers more control over generated code structure and formatting
  • Gson has a simpler API for basic JSON operations
  • JavaPoet provides greater flexibility for creating complex Java code programmatically
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ANTLR (ANother Tool for Language Recognition) is a powerful parser generator for reading, processing, executing, or translating structured text or binary files.

Pros of ANTLR4

  • More powerful and flexible for complex language parsing
  • Supports multiple target languages (Java, C#, Python, etc.)
  • Extensive documentation and community support

Cons of ANTLR4

  • Steeper learning curve compared to JavaPoet
  • Can be overkill for simple code generation tasks
  • Requires writing grammar files, which adds complexity

Code Comparison

ANTLR4 grammar example:

grammar SimpleExpression;
expr: term ('+' term)*;
term: factor ('*' factor)*;
factor: NUMBER | '(' expr ')';
NUMBER: [0-9]+;
WS: [ \t\r\n]+ -> skip;

JavaPoet code generation example:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
    .returns(void.class)
    .addParameter(String[].class, "args")
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Hello, JavaPoet!")
    .build();

ANTLR4 is better suited for complex language parsing and processing, while JavaPoet excels at Java code generation. ANTLR4 offers more flexibility but requires more setup, whereas JavaPoet provides a simpler API for generating Java code specifically. Choose ANTLR4 for comprehensive language processing needs and JavaPoet for straightforward Java code generation tasks.

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README

JavaPoet

JavaPoet is a Java API for generating .java source files.

Source file generation can be useful when doing things such as annotation processing or interacting with metadata files (e.g., database schemas, protocol formats). By generating code, you eliminate the need to write boilerplate while also keeping a single source of truth for the metadata.

Example

Here's a (boring) HelloWorld class:

package com.example.helloworld;

public final class HelloWorld {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Hello, JavaPoet!");
  }
}

And this is the (exciting) code to generate it with JavaPoet:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
    .returns(void.class)
    .addParameter(String[].class, "args")
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Hello, JavaPoet!")
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(main)
    .build();

JavaFile javaFile = JavaFile.builder("com.example.helloworld", helloWorld)
    .build();

javaFile.writeTo(System.out);

To declare the main method, we've created a MethodSpec "main" configured with modifiers, return type, parameters and code statements. We add the main method to a HelloWorld class, and then add that to a HelloWorld.java file.

In this case we write the file to System.out, but we could also get it as a string (JavaFile.toString()) or write it to the file system (JavaFile.writeTo()).

The Javadoc catalogs the complete JavaPoet API, which we explore below.

Code & Control Flow

Most of JavaPoet's API uses plain old immutable Java objects. There's also builders, method chaining and varargs to make the API friendly. JavaPoet offers models for classes & interfaces (TypeSpec), fields (FieldSpec), methods & constructors (MethodSpec), parameters (ParameterSpec) and annotations (AnnotationSpec).

But the body of methods and constructors is not modeled. There's no expression class, no statement class or syntax tree nodes. Instead, JavaPoet uses strings for code blocks:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addCode(""
        + "int total = 0;\n"
        + "for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {\n"
        + "  total += i;\n"
        + "}\n")
    .build();

Which generates this:

void main() {
  int total = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    total += i;
  }
}

The manual semicolons, line wrapping, and indentation are tedious and so JavaPoet offers APIs to make it easier. There's addStatement() which takes care of semicolons and newline, and beginControlFlow() + endControlFlow() which are used together for braces, newlines, and indentation:

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addStatement("int total = 0")
    .beginControlFlow("for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)")
    .addStatement("total += i")
    .endControlFlow()
    .build();

This example is lame because the generated code is constant! Suppose instead of just adding 0 to 10, we want to make the operation and range configurable. Here's a method that generates a method:

private MethodSpec computeRange(String name, int from, int to, String op) {
  return MethodSpec.methodBuilder(name)
      .returns(int.class)
      .addStatement("int result = 1")
      .beginControlFlow("for (int i = " + from + "; i < " + to + "; i++)")
      .addStatement("result = result " + op + " i")
      .endControlFlow()
      .addStatement("return result")
      .build();
}

And here's what we get when we call computeRange("multiply10to20", 10, 20, "*"):

int multiply10to20() {
  int result = 1;
  for (int i = 10; i < 20; i++) {
    result = result * i;
  }
  return result;
}

Methods generating methods! And since JavaPoet generates source instead of bytecode, you can read through it to make sure it's right.

Some control flow statements, such as if/else, can have unlimited control flow possibilities. You can handle those options using nextControlFlow():

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .addStatement("long now = $T.currentTimeMillis()", System.class)
    .beginControlFlow("if ($T.currentTimeMillis() < now)", System.class)
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Time travelling, woo hoo!")
    .nextControlFlow("else if ($T.currentTimeMillis() == now)", System.class)
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Time stood still!")
    .nextControlFlow("else")
    .addStatement("$T.out.println($S)", System.class, "Ok, time still moving forward")
    .endControlFlow()
    .build();

Which generates:

void main() {
  long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
  if (System.currentTimeMillis() < now)  {
    System.out.println("Time travelling, woo hoo!");
  } else if (System.currentTimeMillis() == now) {
    System.out.println("Time stood still!");
  } else {
    System.out.println("Ok, time still moving forward");
  }
}

Catching exceptions using try/catch is also a use case for nextControlFlow():

MethodSpec main = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("main")
    .beginControlFlow("try")
    .addStatement("throw new Exception($S)", "Failed")
    .nextControlFlow("catch ($T e)", Exception.class)
    .addStatement("throw new $T(e)", RuntimeException.class)
    .endControlFlow()
    .build();

Which produces:

void main() {
  try {
    throw new Exception("Failed");
  } catch (Exception e) {
    throw new RuntimeException(e);
  }
}

$L for Literals

The string-concatenation in calls to beginControlFlow() and addStatement is distracting. Too many operators. To address this, JavaPoet offers a syntax inspired-by but incompatible-with String.format(). It accepts $L to emit a literal value in the output. This works just like Formatter's %s:

private MethodSpec computeRange(String name, int from, int to, String op) {
  return MethodSpec.methodBuilder(name)
      .returns(int.class)
      .addStatement("int result = 0")
      .beginControlFlow("for (int i = $L; i < $L; i++)", from, to)
      .addStatement("result = result $L i", op)
      .endControlFlow()
      .addStatement("return result")
      .build();
}

Literals are emitted directly to the output code with no escaping. Arguments for literals may be strings, primitives, and a few JavaPoet types described below.

$S for Strings

When emitting code that includes string literals, we can use $S to emit a string, complete with wrapping quotation marks and escaping. Here's a program that emits 3 methods, each of which returns its own name:

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
  TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
      .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.FINAL)
      .addMethod(whatsMyName("slimShady"))
      .addMethod(whatsMyName("eminem"))
      .addMethod(whatsMyName("marshallMathers"))
      .build();

  JavaFile javaFile = JavaFile.builder("com.example.helloworld", helloWorld)
      .build();

  javaFile.writeTo(System.out);
}

private static MethodSpec whatsMyName(String name) {
  return MethodSpec.methodBuilder(name)
      .returns(String.class)
      .addStatement("return $S", name)
      .build();
}

In this case, using $S gives us quotation marks:

public final class HelloWorld {
  String slimShady() {
    return "slimShady";
  }

  String eminem() {
    return "eminem";
  }

  String marshallMathers() {
    return "marshallMathers";
  }
}

$T for Types

We Java programmers love our types: they make our code easier to understand. And JavaPoet is on board. It has rich built-in support for types, including automatic generation of import statements. Just use $T to reference types:

MethodSpec today = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("today")
    .returns(Date.class)
    .addStatement("return new $T()", Date.class)
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(today)
    .build();

JavaFile javaFile = JavaFile.builder("com.example.helloworld", helloWorld)
    .build();

javaFile.writeTo(System.out);

That generates the following .java file, complete with the necessary import:

package com.example.helloworld;

import java.util.Date;

public final class HelloWorld {
  Date today() {
    return new Date();
  }
}

We passed Date.class to reference a class that just-so-happens to be available when we're generating code. This doesn't need to be the case. Here's a similar example, but this one references a class that doesn't exist (yet):

ClassName hoverboard = ClassName.get("com.mattel", "Hoverboard");

MethodSpec today = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("tomorrow")
    .returns(hoverboard)
    .addStatement("return new $T()", hoverboard)
    .build();

And that not-yet-existent class is imported as well:

package com.example.helloworld;

import com.mattel.Hoverboard;

public final class HelloWorld {
  Hoverboard tomorrow() {
    return new Hoverboard();
  }
}

The ClassName type is very important, and you'll need it frequently when you're using JavaPoet. It can identify any declared class. Declared types are just the beginning of Java's rich type system: we also have arrays, parameterized types, wildcard types, and type variables. JavaPoet has classes for building each of these:

ClassName hoverboard = ClassName.get("com.mattel", "Hoverboard");
ClassName list = ClassName.get("java.util", "List");
ClassName arrayList = ClassName.get("java.util", "ArrayList");
TypeName listOfHoverboards = ParameterizedTypeName.get(list, hoverboard);

MethodSpec beyond = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("beyond")
    .returns(listOfHoverboards)
    .addStatement("$T result = new $T<>()", listOfHoverboards, arrayList)
    .addStatement("result.add(new $T())", hoverboard)
    .addStatement("result.add(new $T())", hoverboard)
    .addStatement("result.add(new $T())", hoverboard)
    .addStatement("return result")
    .build();

JavaPoet will decompose each type and import its components where possible.

package com.example.helloworld;

import com.mattel.Hoverboard;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public final class HelloWorld {
  List<Hoverboard> beyond() {
    List<Hoverboard> result = new ArrayList<>();
    result.add(new Hoverboard());
    result.add(new Hoverboard());
    result.add(new Hoverboard());
    return result;
  }
}

Import static

JavaPoet supports import static. It does it via explicitly collecting type member names. Let's enhance the previous example with some static sugar:

...
ClassName namedBoards = ClassName.get("com.mattel", "Hoverboard", "Boards");

MethodSpec beyond = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("beyond")
    .returns(listOfHoverboards)
    .addStatement("$T result = new $T<>()", listOfHoverboards, arrayList)
    .addStatement("result.add($T.createNimbus(2000))", hoverboard)
    .addStatement("result.add($T.createNimbus(\"2001\"))", hoverboard)
    .addStatement("result.add($T.createNimbus($T.THUNDERBOLT))", hoverboard, namedBoards)
    .addStatement("$T.sort(result)", Collections.class)
    .addStatement("return result.isEmpty() ? $T.emptyList() : result", Collections.class)
    .build();

TypeSpec hello = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addMethod(beyond)
    .build();

JavaFile.builder("com.example.helloworld", hello)
    .addStaticImport(hoverboard, "createNimbus")
    .addStaticImport(namedBoards, "*")
    .addStaticImport(Collections.class, "*")
    .build();

JavaPoet will first add your import static block to the file as configured, match and mangle all calls accordingly and also import all other types as needed.

package com.example.helloworld;

import static com.mattel.Hoverboard.Boards.*;
import static com.mattel.Hoverboard.createNimbus;
import static java.util.Collections.*;

import com.mattel.Hoverboard;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

class HelloWorld {
  List<Hoverboard> beyond() {
    List<Hoverboard> result = new ArrayList<>();
    result.add(createNimbus(2000));
    result.add(createNimbus("2001"));
    result.add(createNimbus(THUNDERBOLT));
    sort(result);
    return result.isEmpty() ? emptyList() : result;
  }
}

$N for Names

Generated code is often self-referential. Use $N to refer to another generated declaration by its name. Here's a method that calls another:

public String byteToHex(int b) {
  char[] result = new char[2];
  result[0] = hexDigit((b >>> 4) & 0xf);
  result[1] = hexDigit(b & 0xf);
  return new String(result);
}

public char hexDigit(int i) {
  return (char) (i < 10 ? i + '0' : i - 10 + 'a');
}

When generating the code above, we pass the hexDigit() method as an argument to the byteToHex() method using $N:

MethodSpec hexDigit = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("hexDigit")
    .addParameter(int.class, "i")
    .returns(char.class)
    .addStatement("return (char) (i < 10 ? i + '0' : i - 10 + 'a')")
    .build();

MethodSpec byteToHex = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("byteToHex")
    .addParameter(int.class, "b")
    .returns(String.class)
    .addStatement("char[] result = new char[2]")
    .addStatement("result[0] = $N((b >>> 4) & 0xf)", hexDigit)
    .addStatement("result[1] = $N(b & 0xf)", hexDigit)
    .addStatement("return new String(result)")
    .build();

Code block format strings

Code blocks may specify the values for their placeholders in a few ways. Only one style may be used for each operation on a code block.

Relative Arguments

Pass an argument value for each placeholder in the format string to CodeBlock.add(). In each example, we generate code to say "I ate 3 tacos"

CodeBlock.builder().add("I ate $L $L", 3, "tacos")

Positional Arguments

Place an integer index (1-based) before the placeholder in the format string to specify which argument to use.

CodeBlock.builder().add("I ate $2L $1L", "tacos", 3)

Named Arguments

Use the syntax $argumentName:X where X is the format character and call CodeBlock.addNamed() with a map containing all argument keys in the format string. Argument names use characters in a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _, and must start with a lowercase character.

Map<String, Object> map = new LinkedHashMap<>();
map.put("food", "tacos");
map.put("count", 3);
CodeBlock.builder().addNamed("I ate $count:L $food:L", map)

Methods

All of the above methods have a code body. Use Modifiers.ABSTRACT to get a method without any body. This is only legal if the enclosing class is either abstract or an interface.

MethodSpec flux = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("flux")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.ABSTRACT, Modifier.PROTECTED)
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
    .addMethod(flux)
    .build();

Which generates this:

public abstract class HelloWorld {
  protected abstract void flux();
}

The other modifiers work where permitted. Note that when specifying modifiers, JavaPoet uses javax.lang.model.element.Modifier, a class that is not available on Android. This limitation applies to code-generating-code only; the output code runs everywhere: JVMs, Android, and GWT.

Methods also have parameters, exceptions, varargs, Javadoc, annotations, type variables, and a return type. All of these are configured with MethodSpec.Builder.

Constructors

MethodSpec is a slight misnomer; it can also be used for constructors:

MethodSpec flux = MethodSpec.constructorBuilder()
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addParameter(String.class, "greeting")
    .addStatement("this.$N = $N", "greeting", "greeting")
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addField(String.class, "greeting", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(flux)
    .build();

Which generates this:

public class HelloWorld {
  private final String greeting;

  public HelloWorld(String greeting) {
    this.greeting = greeting;
  }
}

For the most part, constructors work just like methods. When emitting code, JavaPoet will place constructors before methods in the output file.

Parameters

Declare parameters on methods and constructors with either ParameterSpec.builder() or MethodSpec's convenient addParameter() API:

ParameterSpec android = ParameterSpec.builder(String.class, "android")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.FINAL)
    .build();

MethodSpec welcomeOverlords = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("welcomeOverlords")
    .addParameter(android)
    .addParameter(String.class, "robot", Modifier.FINAL)
    .build();

Though the code above to generate android and robot parameters is different, the output is the same:

void welcomeOverlords(final String android, final String robot) {
}

The extended Builder form is necessary when the parameter has annotations (such as @Nullable).

Fields

Like parameters, fields can be created either with builders or by using convenient helper methods:

FieldSpec android = FieldSpec.builder(String.class, "android")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addField(android)
    .addField(String.class, "robot", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .build();

Which generates:

public class HelloWorld {
  private final String android;

  private final String robot;
}

The extended Builder form is necessary when a field has Javadoc, annotations, or a field initializer. Field initializers use the same String.format()-like syntax as the code blocks above:

FieldSpec android = FieldSpec.builder(String.class, "android")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .initializer("$S + $L", "Lollipop v.", 5.0d)
    .build();

Which generates:

private final String android = "Lollipop v." + 5.0;

Interfaces

JavaPoet has no trouble with interfaces. Note that interface methods must always be PUBLIC ABSTRACT and interface fields must always be PUBLIC STATIC FINAL. These modifiers are necessary when defining the interface:

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.interfaceBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addField(FieldSpec.builder(String.class, "ONLY_THING_THAT_IS_CONSTANT")
        .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC, Modifier.FINAL)
        .initializer("$S", "change")
        .build())
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("beep")
        .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
        .build())
    .build();

But these modifiers are omitted when the code is generated. These are the defaults so we don't need to include them for javac's benefit!

public interface HelloWorld {
  String ONLY_THING_THAT_IS_CONSTANT = "change";

  void beep();
}

Enums

Use enumBuilder to create the enum type, and addEnumConstant() for each value:

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.enumBuilder("Roshambo")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addEnumConstant("ROCK")
    .addEnumConstant("SCISSORS")
    .addEnumConstant("PAPER")
    .build();

To generate this:

public enum Roshambo {
  ROCK,

  SCISSORS,

  PAPER
}

Fancy enums are supported, where the enum values override methods or call a superclass constructor. Here's a comprehensive example:

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.enumBuilder("Roshambo")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addEnumConstant("ROCK", TypeSpec.anonymousClassBuilder("$S", "fist")
        .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("toString")
            .addAnnotation(Override.class)
            .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
            .addStatement("return $S", "avalanche!")
            .returns(String.class)
            .build())
        .build())
    .addEnumConstant("SCISSORS", TypeSpec.anonymousClassBuilder("$S", "peace")
        .build())
    .addEnumConstant("PAPER", TypeSpec.anonymousClassBuilder("$S", "flat")
        .build())
    .addField(String.class, "handsign", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.FINAL)
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.constructorBuilder()
        .addParameter(String.class, "handsign")
        .addStatement("this.$N = $N", "handsign", "handsign")
        .build())
    .build();

Which generates this:

public enum Roshambo {
  ROCK("fist") {
    @Override
    public String toString() {
      return "avalanche!";
    }
  },

  SCISSORS("peace"),

  PAPER("flat");

  private final String handsign;

  Roshambo(String handsign) {
    this.handsign = handsign;
  }
}

Anonymous Inner Classes

In the enum code, we used TypeSpec.anonymousInnerClass(). Anonymous inner classes can also be used in code blocks. They are values that can be referenced with $L:

TypeSpec comparator = TypeSpec.anonymousClassBuilder("")
    .addSuperinterface(ParameterizedTypeName.get(Comparator.class, String.class))
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("compare")
        .addAnnotation(Override.class)
        .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
        .addParameter(String.class, "a")
        .addParameter(String.class, "b")
        .returns(int.class)
        .addStatement("return $N.length() - $N.length()", "a", "b")
        .build())
    .build();

TypeSpec helloWorld = TypeSpec.classBuilder("HelloWorld")
    .addMethod(MethodSpec.methodBuilder("sortByLength")
        .addParameter(ParameterizedTypeName.get(List.class, String.class), "strings")
        .addStatement("$T.sort($N, $L)", Collections.class, "strings", comparator)
        .build())
    .build();

This generates a method that contains a class that contains a method:

void sortByLength(List<String> strings) {
  Collections.sort(strings, new Comparator<String>() {
    @Override
    public int compare(String a, String b) {
      return a.length() - b.length();
    }
  });
}

One particularly tricky part of defining anonymous inner classes is the arguments to the superclass constructor. In the above code we're passing the empty string for no arguments: TypeSpec.anonymousClassBuilder(""). To pass different parameters use JavaPoet's code block syntax with commas to separate arguments.

Annotations

Simple annotations are easy:

MethodSpec toString = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("toString")
    .addAnnotation(Override.class)
    .returns(String.class)
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC)
    .addStatement("return $S", "Hoverboard")
    .build();

Which generates this method with an @Override annotation:

  @Override
  public String toString() {
    return "Hoverboard";
  }

Use AnnotationSpec.builder() to set properties on annotations:

MethodSpec logRecord = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("recordEvent")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
    .addAnnotation(AnnotationSpec.builder(Headers.class)
        .addMember("accept", "$S", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
        .addMember("userAgent", "$S", "Square Cash")
        .build())
    .addParameter(LogRecord.class, "logRecord")
    .returns(LogReceipt.class)
    .build();

Which generates this annotation with accept and userAgent properties:

@Headers(
    accept = "application/json; charset=utf-8",
    userAgent = "Square Cash"
)
LogReceipt recordEvent(LogRecord logRecord);

When you get fancy, annotation values can be annotations themselves. Use $L for embedded annotations:

MethodSpec logRecord = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("recordEvent")
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
    .addAnnotation(AnnotationSpec.builder(HeaderList.class)
        .addMember("value", "$L", AnnotationSpec.builder(Header.class)
            .addMember("name", "$S", "Accept")
            .addMember("value", "$S", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
            .build())
        .addMember("value", "$L", AnnotationSpec.builder(Header.class)
            .addMember("name", "$S", "User-Agent")
            .addMember("value", "$S", "Square Cash")
            .build())
        .build())
    .addParameter(LogRecord.class, "logRecord")
    .returns(LogReceipt.class)
    .build();

Which generates this:

@HeaderList({
    @Header(name = "Accept", value = "application/json; charset=utf-8"),
    @Header(name = "User-Agent", value = "Square Cash")
})
LogReceipt recordEvent(LogRecord logRecord);

Note that you can call addMember() multiple times with the same property name to populate a list of values for that property.

Javadoc

Fields, methods and types can be documented with Javadoc:

MethodSpec dismiss = MethodSpec.methodBuilder("dismiss")
    .addJavadoc("Hides {@code message} from the caller's history. Other\n"
        + "participants in the conversation will continue to see the\n"
        + "message in their own history unless they also delete it.\n")
    .addJavadoc("\n")
    .addJavadoc("<p>Use {@link #delete($T)} to delete the entire\n"
        + "conversation for all participants.\n", Conversation.class)
    .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.ABSTRACT)
    .addParameter(Message.class, "message")
    .build();

Which generates this:

  /**
   * Hides {@code message} from the caller's history. Other
   * participants in the conversation will continue to see the
   * message in their own history unless they also delete it.
   *
   * <p>Use {@link #delete(Conversation)} to delete the entire
   * conversation for all participants.
   */
  void dismiss(Message message);

Use $T when referencing types in Javadoc to get automatic imports.

Download

Download the latest .jar or depend via Maven:

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.squareup</groupId>
  <artifactId>javapoet</artifactId>
  <version>1.13.0</version>
</dependency>

or Gradle:

compile 'com.squareup:javapoet:1.13.0'

Snapshots of the development version are available in Sonatype's snapshots repository.

License

Copyright 2015 Square, Inc.

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.

JavaWriter

JavaPoet is the successor to JavaWriter. New projects should prefer JavaPoet because it has a stronger code model: it understands types and can manage imports automatically. JavaPoet is also better suited to composition: rather than streaming the contents of a .java file top-to-bottom in a single pass, a file can be assembled as a tree of declarations.

JavaWriter continues to be available in GitHub and Maven Central.