Added in API level 26

MethodHandleInfo

public interface MethodHandleInfo

java.lang.invoke.MethodHandleInfo


A symbolic reference obtained by cracking a direct method handle into its consitutent symbolic parts. To crack a direct method handle, call Lookup.revealDirect.

Direct Method Handles

A direct method handle represents a method, constructor, or field without any intervening argument bindings or other transformations. The method, constructor, or field referred to by a direct method handle is called its underlying member. Direct method handles may be obtained in any of these ways:

Restrictions on Cracking

Given a suitable Lookup object, it is possible to crack any direct method handle to recover a symbolic reference for the underlying method, constructor, or field. Cracking must be done via a Lookup object equivalent to that which created the target method handle, or which has enough access permissions to recreate an equivalent method handle.

If the underlying method is caller sensitive, the direct method handle will have been "bound" to a particular caller class, the lookup class of the lookup object used to create it. Cracking this method handle with a different lookup class will fail even if the underlying method is public (like Class.forName).

The requirement of lookup object matching provides a "fast fail" behavior for programs which may otherwise trust erroneous revelation of a method handle with symbolic information (or caller binding) from an unexpected scope. Use MethodHandles.reflectAs(Class, MethodHandle) to override this limitation.

Reference kinds

The Lookup Factory Methods correspond to all major use cases for methods, constructors, and fields. These use cases may be distinguished using small integers as follows:
reference kinddescriptive namescopememberbehavior
1REF_getFieldclass FT f;(T) this.f;
2REF_getStaticclass or interface static
FT f;
(T) C.f;
3REF_putFieldclass FT f;this.f = x;
4REF_putStaticclass static
FT f;
C.f = arg;
5REF_invokeVirtualclass T m(A*);(T) this.m(arg*);
6REF_invokeStaticclass or interface static
T m(A*);
(T) C.m(arg*);
7REF_invokeSpecialclass or interface T m(A*);(T) super.m(arg*);
8REF_newInvokeSpecialclass C(A*);new C(arg*);
9REF_invokeInterfaceinterface T m(A*);(T) this.m(arg*);

Summary

Constants

int REF_getField

A direct method handle reference kind, as defined in the table above.

int REF_getStatic

int REF_invokeInterface

int REF_invokeSpecial

int REF_invokeStatic

int REF_invokeVirtual

int REF_newInvokeSpecial

int REF_putField

int REF_putStatic

Public methods

abstract Class<?> getDeclaringClass()

Returns the class in which the cracked method handle's underlying member was defined.

abstract MethodType getMethodType()

Returns the nominal type of the cracked symbolic reference, expressed as a method type.

abstract int getModifiers()

Returns the access modifiers of the underlying member.

abstract String getName()

Returns the name of the cracked method handle's underlying member.

abstract int getReferenceKind()

Returns the reference kind of the cracked method handle, which in turn determines whether the method handle's underlying member was a constructor, method, or field.

default boolean isVarArgs()

Determines if the underlying member was a variable arity method or constructor.

static boolean refKindIsField(int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29. This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. No replacement is available but it is possible to replicate using information from the table above, e.g. refKind >= 1 && refKind <= 4. There are no guarantees that this logic will work if future versions extend the table.

static boolean refKindIsValid(int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29. This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. No replacement is available but it is possible to replicate using information from the table above, e.g. refKind >= 1 && refKind <= 9. There are no guarantees that this logic will work if future versions extend the table.

static String refKindName(int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29. This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. Use MethodHandleInfo#referenceKindToString(int) instead.

static String referenceKindToString(int referenceKind)

Returns the descriptive name of the given reference kind, as defined in the table above.

abstract <T extends Member> T reflectAs(Class<T> expected, MethodHandles.Lookup lookup)

Reflects the underlying member as a method, constructor, or field object.

static String toString(int kind, Class<?> defc, String name, MethodType type)

Returns a string representation for a MethodHandleInfo, given the four parts of its symbolic reference.

Constants

REF_getField

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_getField

A direct method handle reference kind, as defined in the table above.

Constant Value: 1 (0x00000001)

REF_getStatic

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_getStatic

Constant Value: 2 (0x00000002)

REF_invokeInterface

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_invokeInterface

Constant Value: 9 (0x00000009)

REF_invokeSpecial

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_invokeSpecial

Constant Value: 7 (0x00000007)

REF_invokeStatic

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_invokeStatic

Constant Value: 6 (0x00000006)

REF_invokeVirtual

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_invokeVirtual

Constant Value: 5 (0x00000005)

REF_newInvokeSpecial

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_newInvokeSpecial

Constant Value: 8 (0x00000008)

REF_putField

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_putField

Constant Value: 3 (0x00000003)

REF_putStatic

Added in API level 26
public static final int REF_putStatic

Constant Value: 4 (0x00000004)

Public methods

getDeclaringClass

Added in API level 26
public abstract Class<?> getDeclaringClass ()

Returns the class in which the cracked method handle's underlying member was defined.

Returns
Class<?> the declaring class of the underlying member

getMethodType

Added in API level 26
public abstract MethodType getMethodType ()

Returns the nominal type of the cracked symbolic reference, expressed as a method type. If the reference is to a constructor, the return type will be void. If it is to a non-static method, the method type will not mention the this parameter. If it is to a field and the requested access is to read the field, the method type will have no parameters and return the field type. If it is to a field and the requested access is to write the field, the method type will have one parameter of the field type and return void.

Note that original direct method handle may include a leading this parameter, or (in the case of a constructor) will replace the void return type with the constructed class. The nominal type does not include any this parameter, and (in the case of a constructor) will return void.

Returns
MethodType the type of the underlying member, expressed as a method type

getModifiers

Added in API level 26
public abstract int getModifiers ()

Returns the access modifiers of the underlying member.

Returns
int the Java language modifiers for underlying member, or -1 if the member cannot be accessed

getName

Added in API level 26
public abstract String getName ()

Returns the name of the cracked method handle's underlying member. This is "<init>" if the underlying member was a constructor, else it is a simple method name or field name.

Returns
String the simple name of the underlying member

getReferenceKind

Added in API level 26
public abstract int getReferenceKind ()

Returns the reference kind of the cracked method handle, which in turn determines whether the method handle's underlying member was a constructor, method, or field. See the table above for definitions.

Returns
int the integer code for the kind of reference used to access the underlying member

isVarArgs

Added in API level 26
public boolean isVarArgs ()

Determines if the underlying member was a variable arity method or constructor. Such members are represented by method handles that are varargs collectors.

Implementation Requirements:
  • This produces a result equivalent to:
    getReferenceKind() >= REF_invokeVirtual && Modifier.isTransient(getModifiers())
     
Returns
boolean true if and only if the underlying member was declared with variable arity.

refKindIsField

Added in API level 26
Deprecated in API level 29
public static boolean refKindIsField (int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29.
This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. No replacement is available but it is possible to replicate using information from the table above, e.g. refKind >= 1 && refKind <= 4. There are no guarantees that this logic will work if future versions extend the table.

Parameters
refKind int

Returns
boolean

refKindIsValid

Added in API level 26
Deprecated in API level 29
public static boolean refKindIsValid (int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29.
This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. No replacement is available but it is possible to replicate using information from the table above, e.g. refKind >= 1 && refKind <= 9. There are no guarantees that this logic will work if future versions extend the table.

Parameters
refKind int

Returns
boolean

refKindName

Added in API level 26
Deprecated in API level 29
public static String refKindName (int refKind)

This method was deprecated in API level 29.
This internal method was accidentally added to API 26 and must not be used. Use MethodHandleInfo#referenceKindToString(int) instead.

Parameters
refKind int

Returns
String

referenceKindToString

Added in API level 26
public static String referenceKindToString (int referenceKind)

Returns the descriptive name of the given reference kind, as defined in the table above. The conventional prefix "REF_" is omitted.

Parameters
referenceKind int: an integer code for a kind of reference used to access a class member

Returns
String a mixed-case string such as "getField"

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the argument is not a valid reference kind number

reflectAs

Added in API level 26
public abstract T reflectAs (Class<T> expected, 
                MethodHandles.Lookup lookup)

Reflects the underlying member as a method, constructor, or field object. If the underlying member is public, it is reflected as if by getMethod, getConstructor, or getField. Otherwise, it is reflected as if by getDeclaredMethod, getDeclaredConstructor, or getDeclaredField. The underlying member must be accessible to the given lookup object.

Parameters
expected Class: a class object representing the desired result type T

lookup MethodHandles.Lookup: the lookup object that created this MethodHandleInfo, or one with equivalent access privileges

Returns
T a reference to the method, constructor, or field object

Throws
ClassCastException if the member is not of the expected type
NullPointerException if either argument is null
IllegalArgumentException if the underlying member is not accessible to the given lookup object

toString

Added in API level 26
public static String toString (int kind, 
                Class<?> defc, 
                String name, 
                MethodType type)

Returns a string representation for a MethodHandleInfo, given the four parts of its symbolic reference. This is defined to be of the form "RK C.N:MT", where RK is the reference kind string for kind, C is the name of defc N is the name, and MT is the type. These four values may be obtained from the reference kind, declaring class, member name, and method type of a MethodHandleInfo object.

Implementation Requirements:
  • This produces a result equivalent to:
    String.format("%s %s.%s:%s", referenceKindToString(kind), defc.getName(), name, type)
     
Parameters
kind int: the reference kind part of the symbolic reference

defc Class: the declaring class part of the symbolic reference

name String: the member name part of the symbolic reference

type MethodType: the method type part of the symbolic reference

Returns
String a string of the form "RK C.N:MT"

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the first argument is not a valid reference kind number
NullPointerException if any reference argument is null