Have a class within a classs, how can I call setMethod from inner class from a separate class?

[Matt Kohanek]

Lets say I have a class like this, that also has another class within it:

package projectContainer;

@Root
public class MeasurementProject {
	
     //project name
    @Element(required=true) 
    private String name;
    

    //projects devices collection
    @ElementList(inline=true, required=false) 
    private Collection<ProjectPermission> permissions;
    
  ...setter, getter, etc

        //this is the class within the class i am referring to....

	public class ProjectDevice {


		@Element(required=false)
		private String deviceId;

		public String getDeviceId() {
			return deviceId;
		}

		public void setDeviceId(String deviceId) {
			this.deviceId = deviceId;
		}
		
	}
	
}	

    

Then I have a separate class called App. How do I call the setDeviceId method from the MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice() class? Here is some code to illustrate:

package projectContainer;

public class App {
	 
		 public static void addProject() {
			 
		 // Create a new project
		 MeasurementProject measurementProject = new MeasurementProject();

		 measurementProject.setName("Project Test 023");
                 //here I need to somehow do measurementProject.ProjectDevice.setDeviceId("Device1 "); but that does not work, nor do any of the other things Ive been trying
		
		 ...(a lot of httpClient code)
		 
		 
		 }
}
    

So in this class I need to set MeasurementProect.ProjectDevice.deviceId using its set method, but I have been having trouble figuring out how. Ive tried quite a few things but nothing seems to be working.

[John de Michele]

Removed incorrect assertion

John.

[David Sharpe]

"class ProjectDevice" is the definition or blueprint for a "ProjectDevice" object. Until you actually declare a "ProjectDevice" object, you can't use its methods (basically).

I'm not positive what your intent is, but I bet the "MeasurementProject" class will have a "private ProjectDevice projectDevice = new ProjectDevice();" field, or something like that.

edit: Nested Classes (The Java Tutorials). Note the example on the next page.

[Matt Kohanek]

I mean is there not something like

MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice project = new MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice;
project.setDeviceId():

I could use? That doesnt work by the way, i tried

[David Sharpe]

Did you check out the link I posted?

Java Tutorial wrote:To instantiate an inner class, you must first instantiate the outer class. Then, create the inner object within the outer object with this syntax:
OuterClass.InnerClass innerObject = outerObject.new InnerClass();

I'd say this is an unusual approach, but hey, it's your code.

[David Newton]

That's only if the inner class isn't static, though.

That aside, consider things like Map.Entry (an interface, not a class, but similar idea). It's not that unusual when the situation warrants it, although I rarely encounter non-static inners.

Edit: I just learned that static inner classes are called "nested" classes, not inner classes--so take what I said with a grain of salt :)

[Michael Angstadt]

Matt Kohanek wrote:I mean is there not something like

MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice project = new MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice();
project.setDeviceId():

I could use? That doesnt work by the way, i tried

If you made your MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice class static then the above code would work. However, the ProjectDevice class would NOT have access to the non-static members of the MeasurementProject class (such as "name" and "permissions").

[Matt Kohanek]

Yeah I know it would be easier to just have the ProjectDevice() as its own class. But I was trying an experiment. But it is taking too long to get anything out of it so Im moving on anyhow.
Thanks

[Mike Simmons]

Java Tutorial wrote:To instantiate an inner class, you must first instantiate the outer class. Then, create the inner object within the outer object with this syntax:
OuterClass.InnerClass innerObject = outerObject.new InnerClass();

Unless you've got an inner class declared in a static context. Which is not the same thing as an inner class. Ye gods, what a mess Sun has made of their nomenclature.

[David Sharpe]

Matt Kohanek wrote:Yeah I know it would be easier to just have the ProjectDevice() as its own class. But I was trying an experiment. But it is taking too long to get anything out of it so Im moving on anyhow.
Thanks

Yes, there are (or were, if you've given up on the "experiment") simpler methods. I'm not suggesting the following code is what you were looking for; I'm suggesting it's a more conventional (?) approach.

public class MeasurementProject {

	private ProjectDevice projectDevice = new ProjectDevice();
	
	public void setDeviceId(String deviceId) {
		projectDevice.setDeviceId(deviceId);
	}
	
	public String getDeviceId() {
		return projectDevice.getDeviceId();
	}

	private class ProjectDevice {

		private String deviceId;  

		private String getDeviceId() {  
			return deviceId;  
		}  

		private void setDeviceId(String deviceId) {  
			this.deviceId = deviceId;  
		}  
	}

}

public class App {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		MeasurementProject project = new MeasurementProject();
		project.setDeviceId("ham");
		System.out.println(project.getDeviceId());
	}

}

You seem to be toying with some pretty advanced syntax, e.g. MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice project = new MeasurementProject.ProjectDevice; without really appreciating the difference between a Class and an Object. Slow down!