Bean creation via static factory method

[andreas]

Hi,
I have read the reference document and found a method to create beans using a static factory method but unfortunately I can't seem to get it to work.

I have a class called RemoteFactory that I must use to create an instance of a object. This Remotefactory has a number of different getInstance method that retrieves different objects dependent on which getxxxInstance that is called. I would like to wire this bean in to one of my controllers by calling one of those getxxInstance method that returns an instance of TheirsRemoteObject.

This is how I would do it manually:

TheirsRemoteObject obj = RemoteFactory.getTheirsRemoteObjectInstance();
MoreVO[] moreVo = obj.callMethod();

So I would like to have this TheirsRemoteObject as a bean property on my controller. Also I do know which object I expect after asking the factory about it.

I would really appreciate some advice on if this is possible and if so how I should do it.

Thanks
Andreas

[james.estes]

Something like this will work:

<bean id="myController" class="com.foo.SomeController">
   <property name="theirsRemoteObject">
      <bean factory-method="getTheirsRemoteObjectInstance" class="com.foo.RemoteFactory" />
   </property>
</bean>

Then, com.foo.SomeController will have a setTheirsRemoteObject(TheirsRemoteObject obj) method, and com.foo.RemoteFactory will have a static TheirsRemoteObject getTheirsRemoteObject() method. (Theirs remote object should probably be an interface, though this is not a requirement).

I almost didn't think it would work because the SpringIDE plugin complains about the inner bean: "factory-method" must be declared for element type "bean". But it works at runtime.

[Colin Sampaleanu]

James' code should work fine I think, although there's no requirement to do it as an inner bean. It could of course be a separate bean which has a factory-method defined.

[andreas]

Hi,
thanks a lot for the answers. Unfortunately I still can't get it to work. I get Attribute "factory-method" is not declared for element "bean" at both deploy and runtime.

Their RemoteFactory returns me an instance of an Offer object.

I have setters on my controller and I have been able to get a instance from their RemoteFactory.

"Then, com.foo.SomeController will have a setTheirsRemoteObject(TheirsRemoteObject obj) method, and com.foo.RemoteFactory will have a static TheirsRemoteObject getTheirsRemoteObject() method"

They (as in it is not my code but a client API has been given to me). They do have a static getOfferInstance() but not a static TheirsRemoteObject getTheirsRemoteObject()????

When I ask to get an instance of the Offer object programmatically it works fine;
Offer offer = RemoteBusinessFactory.getOfferInstance();

On my controllers I have getRemoteObj and setRemoteObj(Offer offer) and I do as you guys recommended but still no success.

Any other ideas? Are there any restrictions on they interface for the RemoteFactory?

Anyway it is not a big issue for me since it is easy to get the instance anyway but it would be nice to get it to work.

Cheers
Andreas

[irbouho]

Andreas,

Since

They do have a static getOfferInstance() but not a static TheirsRemoteObject getTheirsRemoteObject()????

then you should use

  <bean id="myController" class="com.foo.SomeController"> 
    <property name="remoteObj"> 
      <bean factory-method="getOfferInstance" class="com.foo.RemoteFactory" /> 
    </property> 
  </bean>

[gpoirier]

I get Attribute "factory-method" is not declared for element "bean" at both deploy and runtime.

Which version of Spring are you using? The factory-method has been introduced in 1.1 RC1, it was not in 1.0.2.

Guillaume

[andreas]

Guillaume,
THANKS A LOT.

You just saved me many hours since I was starting to get really frustrated since my first try was exaclty as has been proposed by the other guys.

Thank you all for taking time on this.

Cheers
Andreas