Primitive type

[nate saider]

Can anyone tell if it is possible to check if a variable is of a primitive type?
i.e

if( object.variable == integer){
    do this
}else if(object.variable == String){
    do this
}else{
error
}    

[Wilfried LAURENT]

Hi,
it is not possible to have an attribute variablevariable, which could be either an 'int' or a 'String' depending on some conditions.
How would you declare it?
What you can do is to have an attribute .variablevariable , which can either be instantiated as an java.lang.Integer or a java.lang.String
Then you can test the type of your object with

 if (object.variable instanceof Integer) 

But i doubt that your request fits the design good practice
W.
[ July 08, 2002: Message edited by: Wilfried LAURENT ]

[nate saider]

Um... thanks. That is actually helpful.
What's not good design practice about it?
It gets the job done and it's homework for a professor who didn't teach us Java, but expects us to know it even though it is not a requirement for the class. I say it is GREAT design practice for someone who learned a semblence of java in 4 days.
well, it's 4 am and time for bed. Thanks again

[Anthony Villanueva]

Ideally, a client class should not access the data representation, i.e. (its instance variables) of a class directly. They should be declared private, with public accessor methods. The type of the variable should be clear from the return value of the accessor signature.