Java Doc for Reflection.java in  » Byte-Code » Javassist » javassist » tools » reflect » Java Source Code / Java DocumentationJava Source Code and Java Documentation

If a class is reflective, then all the method invocations on every instance of that class are intercepted by the runtime metaobject controlling that instance. The methods inherited from the super classes are also intercepted except final methods. To intercept a final method in a super class, that super class must be also reflective.

To do this, the original class file representing a reflective class:

 class Person {
 public int f(int i) { return i + 1; }
 public int value;
 }
 

is modified so that it represents a class:

 class Person implements Metalevel {
 public int _original_f(int i) { return i + 1; }
 public int f(int i) { delegate to the metaobject }
 public int value;
 public int _r_value() { read "value" }
 public void _w_value(int v) { write "value" }
 public ClassMetaobject _getClass() { return a class metaobject }
 public Metaobject _getMetaobject() { return a metaobject }
 public void _setMetaobject(Metaobject m) { change a metaobject }
 }