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Java Forum / General / September 2006Getting the name of an object
I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: MyObject myObj = new MyObject(); Is there any way I can, from within myObj, get the *name* of that particular object? I know I can do this: myObj.getClass().getName(); and I'll get "MyObject", but I would like to be able to get the name given to that object. Thanks! Hal getClass().getDeclaredFields() will give you a Field[], which you can iterate through and get the names of the field(s) by doing <field>.getName(). -cheers, Manish > I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, > but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Hal Hal Vaughan wrote on 13.09.2006 18:04: > I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, > but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and I'll get "MyObject", but I would like to be able to get the name given > to that object. No you can't (unless it's a member variable not a local one, as described by Manish). But in 99% of all cases I'd say: if you need to do that, your design is seriously flawed Thomas > Hal Vaughan wrote on 13.09.2006 18:04: >> I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > No you can't (unless it's a member variable not a local one, as described > by Manish). Thanks -- also to all the others who responded. > But in 99% of all cases I'd say: if you need to do that, your design is > seriously flawed Actually, I was just experimenting with a possible debugging aid. I have to create a wrapper class for Swing components, and while debugging, if there were an easy way, in one line, to identify the name of the object when printing out debugging info, it'd be a help. Instead I just added a String that I set to use for printouts. When I'm done debugging, I'll remove references to that string. Hal Hal Vaughan wrote on 13.09.2006 23:14: >> No you can't (unless it's a member variable not a local one, as described >> by Manish). [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > were an easy way, in one line, to identify the name of the object when > printing out debugging info, it'd be a help. OK, that'll be the 1% ;) Thomas > Hal Vaughan wrote on 13.09.2006 23:14: >>> No you can't (unless it's a member variable not a local one, as [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thomas And in this case, it was easier to just add a variable to track it. I just figured if there were an easy way to do it with one line or so, that would be worth doing. I figured it was worth asking. One of these days I'm going to have to learn to use debuggers. I know they're out there, but I didn't even know they existed until about 6-9 months ago. Sometimes there's holes in your background if you're self taught. ;-) Hal >>> I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some >>> answers, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > were an easy way, in one line, to identify the name of the object when > printing out debugging info, it'd be a help. Instead [...] All AWT components (including all Swing components) have the methods getName() and setName(). However, the default name may not be meaningful; you might need to do something like this: MyObject myObj = new MyObject(); myObj->setName("myObj"); Since Java does not have a preprocessor, I don't think it's possible to write a macro that would instantiate a component and record the variable-name it was first assigned to; but the above is clear enough.  SignaturePGP key posted on website ... http://www.lmert.com/people/davidl/ > I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, > but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and I'll get "MyObject", but I would like to be able to get the name given > to that object. I assume you want "myObj". No. Because one object may have zero or many names and that info is not always stored in the byte code. Arne > I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, > but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Hal myObj is not a name of the object. It is the identifier of a variable that happens, immediately after its initialization, to contain a pointer to the MyObject. The connection between the two of them is very tenuous. Other fields may refer to the same object at other times. myObj may, at other times, be null or point to a different instance of MyObject. myObj may go out of existence at a time when there are other references to the MyObject instance it originally referenced. If you wish to associate strings with objects, and be able to find the associated string given a reference to the object, consider a Map<MyObject,String>, possibly combined with a map in the other direction. Patricia >I asked a similar question and was able to work it out and get some answers, >but this one is a bit harder. If I do this: > MyObject myObj = new MyObject(); >Is there any way I can, from within myObj, get the *name* of that particular >object? I know I can do this: What do you mean by *name* of an object? Name is not a property that an instance of java.lang.Object has. > myObj.getClass().getName(); Oh, the name of the class. yes, you can do that. >and I'll get "MyObject", but I would like to be able to get the name given >to that object. Hmm, back to my first question: what do you mean name of the object? Who is giving this name, and how? The answer to this will likely lead you to the right way to retrieve this name. -- Mark Rafn dagon@dagon.net <http://www.dagon.net/> Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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