JavaBeans

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Published Aug 18, 2022Updated Feb 23, 2023
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JavaBeans are class definitions following a set of particular conventions. They are not tied to any Java framework so any Java program can use them. All JavaBeans can be considered POJOs (plain old Java objects). Many Java libraries and frameworks rely on the JavaBean conventions.

Syntax

The following syntax conventions are used in JavaBeans:

  • All properties are private and the class exposes them through getter and setter methods.
  • All getters and setters are named “getX” or “setX”. In the case of a boolean property, “isX” can be used for a getter.
  • A default constructor that requires no arguments must be present.
  • It implements the Serializable interface, allowing the program to store its state.

Note: In implementing a Serializable class, it is strongly recommended to declare an explicit serialVersionUID value. While the explicit declaration is optional, the generated values might vary from compiler to compiler, leading to an unexpected InvalidClassException during deserialization. serialVersionUID should be a static final long, and it is recommended to be private.

Example

The following is an example of a JavaBean:

// Student.java
import java.io.Serializable;
public class Student implements Serializable {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 12345678L
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
private String major;
public Student() {
}
public Student(String firstName, String lastName, String major) {
this.firstName = firstName;
this.lastName = lastName;
this.major = major;
}
public String getFirstName() {
return this.firstName;
}
public void setFirstName(String firstName) {
this.firstName = firstName;
}
public String getLastName() {
return this.lastName;
}
public void setLastName(String lastName) {
this.lastName = lastName;
}
public String getMajor() {
return this.major;
}
public void setMajor(String major) {
this.major = major;
}
}

Potential Disadvantages

The JavaBeans standard does enforce some characteristics that may be disadvantageous depending on the implementation:

  • The default constructor allows the object to be instantiated without initializing its properties. Depending on the object, this may be considered an invalid state.
  • The creation of getters and setters may be unnecessary for an implementation and may result in a lot of unnecessary coding.
  • The JavaBean is mutable due to its setter methods which might lead to concurrency or memory consistency issues.

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