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## java.io
Class ObjectStreamField

    java.lang.Object
      java.io.ObjectStreamField

All Implemented Interfaces:
  Comparable

public class ObjectStreamField
extends Object
implements Comparable

A description of a Serializable field from a Serializable class. An array of ObjectStreamFields is used to declare the Serializable fields of a class.

Since:
  1.2
See Also:
  `ObjectStreamClass`

Constructor Summary
`ObjectStreamField(String name, Class type)` Create a Serializable field with the specified type.
`ObjectStreamField(String name, Class type, boolean unshared)` Creates an ObjectStreamField representing a serializable field with the given name and type.

Method Summary
`int` | `compareTo(Object obj)` Compare this field with another `ObjectStreamField`.
`String` | `getName()` Get the name of this field.
`int` | `getOffset()` Offset of field within instance data.
`Class` | `getType()` Get the type of the field.
`char` | `getTypeCode()` Returns character encoding of field type.
`String` | `getTypeString()` Return the JVM type signature.
`boolean` | `isPrimitive()` Return true if this field has a primitive type.
`boolean` | `isUnshared()` Returns boolean value indicating whether or not the serializable field represented by this ObjectStreamField instance is unshared.
`protected void` | `setOffset(int offset)` Offset within instance data.
`String` | `toString()` Return a string that describes this field.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

Constructor Detail

### ObjectStreamField

    public ObjectStreamField(String name,
                             Class type)

  Create a Serializable field with the specified type. This field should be documented with a `serialField` tag.

Parameters:
  `name` - the name of the serializable field
  `type` - the `Class` object of the serializable field

### ObjectStreamField

    public ObjectStreamField(String name,
                             Class type,
                             boolean unshared)

  Creates an ObjectStreamField representing a serializable field with the given name and type. If unshared is false, values of the represented field are serialized and deserialized in the default manner--if the field is non-primitive, object values are serialized and deserialized as if they had been written and read by calls to writeObject and readObject. If unshared is true, values of the represented field are serialized and deserialized as if they had been written and read by calls to writeUnshared and readUnshared.

Parameters:
  `name` - field name
  `type` - field type
  `unshared` - if false, write/read field values in the same manner as writeObject/readObject; if true, write/read in the same manner as writeUnshared/readUnshared

Method Detail

### getName

    public String getName()

  Get the name of this field.

  Returns:
    a `String` representing the name of the serializable field

### getType

    public Class getType()

  Get the type of the field.

  Returns:
    the `Class` object of the serializable field

### getTypeCode

    public char getTypeCode()

  Returns character encoding of field type. The encoding is as follows:

  >      B            byte
  >      C            char
  >      D            double
  >      F            float
  >      I            int
  >      J            long
  >      L            class or interface
  >      S            short
  >      Z            boolean
  >      [            array

  Returns:
    the typecode of the serializable field

### getTypeString

    public String getTypeString()

  Return the JVM type signature.

  Returns:
    null if this field has a primitive type.

### getOffset

    public int getOffset()

  Offset of field within instance data.

  Returns:
    the offset of this field
  See Also:
    `setOffset(int)`

### setOffset

    protected void setOffset(int offset)

  Offset within instance data.

  Parameters:
    `offset` - the offset of the field
  See Also:
    `getOffset()`

### isPrimitive

    public boolean isPrimitive()

  Return true if this field has a primitive type.

  Returns:
    true if and only if this field corresponds to a primitive type

### isUnshared

    public boolean isUnshared()

  Returns boolean value indicating whether or not the serializable field represented by this ObjectStreamField instance is unshared.

### compareTo

    public int compareTo(Object obj)

  Compare this field with another `ObjectStreamField`. Return -1 if this is smaller, 0 if equal, 1 if greater. Types that are primitives are "smaller" than object types. If equal, the field names are compared.

  Specified by:
    `compareTo` in interface `Comparable`
  Parameters:
    `obj` - the Object to be compared.
  Returns:
    a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this object is less than, equal to, or greater than the specified object.

### toString

    public String toString()

  Return a string that describes this field.

  Overrides:
    `toString` in class `Object`
  Returns:
    a string representation of the object.

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For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java 2 SDK SE Developer Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.

Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.