Class ClassValue<T>
- java.lang.Object
-
- java.lang.ClassValue<T>
public abstract class ClassValue<T> extends Object
Lazily associate a computed value with (potentially) every type. For example, if a dynamic language needs to construct a message dispatch table for each class encountered at a message send call site, it can use a ClassValue
to cache information needed to perform the message send quickly, for each class encountered.
- Since:
- 1.7
Constructor Summary
Modifier | Constructor | Description |
---|---|---|
protected | ClassValue() | Sole constructor. |
Method Summary
Modifier and Type | Method | Description |
---|---|---|
protected abstract T | computeValue(Class<?> type) | Computes the given class's derived value for this |
T | get(Class<?> type) | Returns the value for the given class. |
void | remove(Class<?> type) | Removes the associated value for the given class. |
Methods declared in class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
Constructor Detail
ClassValue
protected ClassValue()
Sole constructor. (For invocation by subclass constructors, typically implicit.)
Method Detail
computeValue
protected abstract T computeValue(Class<?> type)
Computes the given class's derived value for this ClassValue
.
This method will be invoked within the first thread that accesses the value with the get
method.
Normally, this method is invoked at most once per class, but it may be invoked again if there has been a call to remove
.
If this method throws an exception, the corresponding call to get
will terminate abnormally with that exception, and no class value will be recorded.
- Parameters:
-
type
- the type whose class value must be computed - Returns:
- the newly computed value associated with this
ClassValue
, for the given class or interface - See Also:
-
get(java.lang.Class<?>)
,remove(java.lang.Class<?>)
get
public T get(Class<?> type)
Returns the value for the given class. If no value has yet been computed, it is obtained by an invocation of the computeValue
method.
The actual installation of the value on the class is performed atomically. At that point, if several racing threads have computed values, one is chosen, and returned to all the racing threads.
The type
parameter is typically a class, but it may be any type, such as an interface, a primitive type (like int.class
), or void.class
.
In the absence of remove
calls, a class value has a simple state diagram: uninitialized and initialized. When remove
calls are made, the rules for value observation are more complex. See the documentation for remove
for more information.
- Parameters:
-
type
- the type whose class value must be computed or retrieved - Returns:
- the current value associated with this
ClassValue
, for the given class or interface - Throws:
-
NullPointerException
- if the argument is null - See Also:
-
remove(java.lang.Class<?>)
,computeValue(java.lang.Class<?>)
remove
public void remove(Class<?> type)
Removes the associated value for the given class. If this value is subsequently read for the same class, its value will be reinitialized by invoking its computeValue
method. This may result in an additional invocation of the computeValue
method for the given class.
In order to explain the interaction between get
and remove
calls, we must model the state transitions of a class value to take into account the alternation between uninitialized and initialized states. To do this, number these states sequentially from zero, and note that uninitialized (or removed) states are numbered with even numbers, while initialized (or re-initialized) states have odd numbers.
When a thread T
removes a class value in state 2N
, nothing happens, since the class value is already uninitialized. Otherwise, the state is advanced atomically to 2N+1
.
When a thread T
queries a class value in state 2N
, the thread first attempts to initialize the class value to state 2N+1
by invoking computeValue
and installing the resulting value.
When T
attempts to install the newly computed value, if the state is still at 2N
, the class value will be initialized with the computed value, advancing it to state 2N+1
.
Otherwise, whether the new state is even or odd, T
will discard the newly computed value and retry the get
operation.
Discarding and retrying is an important proviso, since otherwise T
could potentially install a disastrously stale value. For example:
-
T
callsCV.get(C)
and sees state2N
-
T
quickly computes a time-dependent valueV0
and gets ready to install it -
T
is hit by an unlucky paging or scheduling event, and goes to sleep for a long time - ...meanwhile,
T2
also callsCV.get(C)
and sees state2N
-
T2
quickly computes a similar time-dependent valueV1
and installs it onCV.get(C)
-
T2
(or a third thread) then callsCV.remove(C)
, undoingT2
's work - the previous actions of
T2
are repeated several times - also, the relevant computed values change over time:
V1
,V2
, ... - ...meanwhile,
T
wakes up and attempts to installV0
; this must fail
CV.computeValue
uses locks to properly observe the time-dependent states as it computes V1
, etc. This does not remove the threat of a stale value, since there is a window of time between the return of computeValue
in T
and the installation of the new value. No user synchronization is possible during this time.- Parameters:
-
type
- the type whose class value must be removed - Throws:
-
NullPointerException
- if the argument is null