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I am working on a module where I have to convert a set of logical representations and other data into Java source code.

I would like to be able to first convert them to an intermediary representation of Java elements (classes, methods, etc), and then convert this intermediary representation to an actual String/textfile.

for example, I would like to just be able to construct an element like this:

JavaClass myClass = new JavaClass("MyClass", "MyParent", new String[] {"MyInterface", "MySecondInterface"});

and then have the toString() method of myClass output something like:

class MyClass extends MyParent implements MyInterface, MySecondInterface { }

and so on and so forth for variables, methods, statements etc - preferably with formatting. The example is oversimplified just for the sake of demonstration - in reality I would prefer a representation that at least resembles an abstract syntax tree.

I have looked at the com.sun.org.apache.bcel.* package, but since it is meant for bytecode it does not help much here. Transformation frameworks (such as Recoder) also do not seem to be what I am looking for.

Can anyone recommend a framework I can use for this?

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  • Closed as off topic after 12 years? Well done SO. Commented Nov 11, 2024 at 9:49

2 Answers 2

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You could use a template engine like freemarker. Write a 'class' template and use freemarker to put in your data. Really simple to use. Freemarker support everything you need like interation, conditions, ...

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Thanks, this comes closest to what I was looking for. I have opted to use StringTemplate instead of FreeMarker, but I will accept your answer since you pointed me to the correct catergory of software.
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You should look into Javassist. It has a really simple API for creating classes on the fly.

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Thanks, but the crucial requirement is that I can convert the representation to a Java source file (see my primitive example in the OP). This framework, unless I am missing something, only deals in bytecode, much like Apache BCEL.
@chrsv I don't know how well it works, but you might try this with Javassist: fuin.org/srcgen4javassist/examples.html
Thanks, unfortunately this solution becomes a bit inflexible and awkward for what I am trying to do in the end. I found that using a template engine is more or less precisely what I need. Thanks anyway!

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