Spring Data Neo4j: Default values in NodeBacked entities

[ractive]

Hello everyone

How do you set default values for a field of a newly created NodeBacked entity?
Setting a default value with initializers or in the constructor marks the corresponding fields as dirty and this initial value is therefore always written to the DB.

Any best practice how to set default values for fields?


Best regards,
James

[MichaelHunger]

Good question. Hasn't arisen so far (null was good enough == no property data written in the graph).

Probably easiest would be a getter that returns the default on null.

Otherwise I could imagine an annotation attribute would help?

Michael

[ractive]

A getter that returns the default on null is a valid workaround, but does not work with primitive data types.
An annotation could come to the rescue. Maybe it would be enough to have an attribute "default" in the @GraphProperty annotation?

@NodeEntity
public class Foo {
  @GraphProperty(default=123)
  int x;

  @GraphProperty(default="foo")
  String s;
} 

Best regards,
James

[MichaelHunger]

That's what I thougt too, except for default being a reserved keyword in Java So it will be defaultValue.

Should be easy enough to get in before the GA.

Michael

[ractive]

That sound great.
Shell I create a Jira for that?


Best regards,
James

[MichaelHunger]

Yes, please.

Michael

[ractive]

Please see this Jira.

Regards,
James