Using java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize() reflectively causes InaccessibleObjectException

Peter Levart peter.levart at gmail.com
Sat Jan 7 19:46:13 UTC 2017


Hi Rony,

As with all concurrent data structures that try to optimize something, 
you can get it wrong in the first try. Here's the corrected code:

public class ReturnTypesList extends CopyOnWriteArrayList<Class<?>> {

     private final Object lock = new Object();

     public void merge(Class<?> newType) {
         for (Class<?> type : this) {
             if (newType.isAssignableFrom(type)) {
                 // already have the same or more specific type
                 return;
             }
         }
         // we need to serialize access when modifying
         synchronized (lock) {
             // re-check under lock as the list might have been modified
             for (Class<?> type : this) {
                 if (newType.isAssignableFrom(type)) {
                     // already have the same or more specific type
                     return;
                 }
             }
             // add newType 1st as it is the most specific type among 
related ones
             // this may make list appear to contain related types for a 
brief moment
             // but that's not a problem if the logic that looks up 
methods can cope
             // with it (it might find duplicate methods)
             add(newType);
             // 2nd remove the less specific related types
             Iterator<Class<?>> iter = iterator();
             while (iter.hasNext()) {
                 Class<?> type = iter.next();
                 if (type != newType && type.isAssignableFrom(newType)) {
                     // newType is more specific -> remove less specific one
                     iter.remove();
                 }
             }
         }
     }
}

Regards, Peter

On 01/07/2017 08:33 PM, Peter Levart wrote:
>
>
> On 01/07/2017 07:25 PM, Rony G. Flatscher wrote:
>>
>> Hi Peter,
>>
>> thank you again for your effort, I really appreciate it!
>>
>> However, as you note at the end yourself, the problem is that any 
>> Java object could be used concurrently in different usages of the 
>> Java bridge, so saving the last return type with the returned object 
>> is not feasible.
>>
>
> I'm not suggesting that. Saving all most specific non-related return 
> types is what would be needed and then using them all in sequence to 
> search for method(s).
>
>> E.g. each new instance of a javax.script.RexxEngine creates a new 
>> Rexx interpreter instance. Each Rexx interpreter instance allows any 
>> number of Rexx threads to run concurrently and it is possible to use 
>> the Java bridge from any of these Rexx threads concurrently and use 
>> the (identical) Java object in different use cases (e.g. having 
>> different Event handlers implemented in Rexx serving at the same time 
>> different Java interfaces). Add to this the possibility that the same 
>> is possible at the Java side, where (the same or different) 
>> RexxEngines could get exercised in different Java threads.
>>
>
> No problem. What you need is a special concurrent collection 
> implementation that keeps all the most specific method return types 
> you add to it which are unrelated. When types are related, you just 
> keep the most specific one. Like this:
>
> public class ReturnTypesList extends CopyOnWriteArrayList<Class<?>> {
>
>     private final Object lock = new Object();
>
>     public void merge(Class<?> newType) {
>         for (Class<?> type : this) {
>             if (newType.isAssignableFrom(type)) {
>                 // already have the same or more specific type
>                 return;
>             }
>         }
>         // we need to serialize access when modifying
>         synchronized (lock) {
>             Iterator<Class<?>> iter = iterator();
>             while (iter.hasNext()) {
>                 Class<?> type = iter.next();
>                 // re-check under lock as the list might have been 
> modified
>                 if (newType.isAssignableFrom(type)) {
>                     // already have the same or more specific type
>                     return;
>                 }
>                 if (type != newType && type.isAssignableFrom(newType)) {
>                     // newType is more specific -> remove less 
> specific one
>                     iter.remove();
>                 }
>             }
>             // newType is most specific
>             add(newType);
>         }
>     }
> }
>
> ...use merge(method.getReturnType()) to keep the list of most specific 
> return types updated - mostly the type will already be found in the 
> list and the first for loop will bail out without any modification or 
> synchronization, so this is quite scalable. When you search for 
> method, iterate the ReturnTypesList registered with the object and 
> collect all the methods you find on all types in the list to select 
> the most appropriate. I think you will find that most objects will 
> register a single method's return type. There will be rare occasions 
> where multiple types will be registered.
>
> Regards, Peter
>
>> ---rony
>>
>>
>> On 07.01.2017 19:16, Peter Levart wrote:
>>> Hi Rony,
>>>
>>> On 01/07/2017 03:53 PM, Rony G. Flatscher wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi Peter,
>>>>
>>>> thank you very much for your efforts!
>>>>
>>>> However, in this context there is a problem at hand, that there is 
>>>> no information available what Java method returned what object and 
>>>> what cast was carried out, if any. To understand this, maybe I 
>>>> should give a little bit more information about the Rexx-Java 
>>>> bridge: Rexx/ooRexx (originally developed by IBM, now in 
>>>> opensource) is an interpreter for a dynamically typed, caseless 
>>>> programming language with a rather easy to learn syntax, yet 
>>>> powerful implemented concepts. ooRexx is implemented in C++.
>>>>
>>>> The Rexx-Java-bridge uses JNI and a Java package (for ooRexx 
>>>> programmers it is an external function package called BSF4ooRexx, 
>>>> which allows to camouflage all of Java as the dynamically typed, 
>>>> caseless ooRexx). It is possible with this package to create Rexx 
>>>> proxy objects for Java objects (and the other way around as well). 
>>>> This is realized by storing proxied Java objects on the Java side 
>>>> in a Map ("registry") and using a common (unique) string value as 
>>>> the key.
>>>>
>>>> So when the Rexx side invokes a Java method, briefly the following 
>>>> steps take place (there is much more to this, but not important in 
>>>> this context):
>>>>
>>>>   * the Rexx side uses JNI and supplies the string identifying the
>>>>     Java object in the Map, the method name in uppercase
>>>>     (caselessness is realized in Rexx by uppercasing all Rexx
>>>>     tokens outside of quotes) and the arguments, if any,
>>>>
>>>>   * the Java side fetches the Java object from the Java registry
>>>>     and inspects it for its available methods, picks those that
>>>>     have caselessly the same name as the supplied method name, then
>>>>     checks whether the arguments are type-compatible and invokes
>>>>     the method; any returned Java object will be placed in the Java
>>>>     "registry" and its key (a unique string) is returned to Rexx.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Couldn't you save also the method's return type besides the result 
>>> under the same key into the registry, so next time you have to 
>>> invoke a method on such object, you retrive the object and the type 
>>> you use to find methods on?
>>>
>>>> So after returning control to Rexx, there is no information 
>>>> available about the Java object in the Java registry other than the 
>>>> string serving as the key to fetch that Java object on the Java side.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not on the Rexx side, but on the Java side in the registry. Right 
>>> where you need it, right?
>>>
>>>> Take this Rexx code as an example (the tilde is the message 
>>>> operator in ooRexx and can have white space around it):
>>>>
>>>>     clzToolkit = bsf.import("java.awt.Toolkit")
>>>>     dim = clzToolkit ~getDefaultToolkit ~getScreenSize
>>>>
>>>> will be transformed internally by Rexx into:
>>>>
>>>>     CLZTOOLKIT=BSF.IMPORT("java.awt.Toolkit")
>>>>     DIM=CLZTOOLKIT~GETDEFAULTTOOLKIT~GETSCREENSIZE
>>>>
>>>> and the Java bridge gets used (via JNI) as follows:
>>>>
>>>>   * step 1: BSF.IMPORT() is an external Rexx function that will use
>>>>     JNI and cause a Java class object to be loaded (and stored in
>>>>     the Java registry) and boxed as an ooRexx proxy class object
>>>>     upon return and assigned to the Rexx variable CLZTOOLKIT,
>>>>
>>>
>>> This time the 'type' to search methods on is the same as the class 
>>> object you just "imported".
>>>
>>>>  *
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   * step 2: the CLZTOOLKIT~GETDEFAULTTOOLKIT statement contains a
>>>>     Rexx message that will cause JNI to be used and the Java method
>>>>     GETDEFAULTTOOLKIT to be executed for the Java object referenced
>>>>     by CLZTOOLKIT (which incorporates the unique string for that
>>>>     proxied Java class object); the returned Java object will be
>>>>     stored in the Java registry, its unique key (a string)
>>>>     returned, boxed as an ooRexx proxy object value which will be
>>>>     the receiver of the next Rexx message,
>>>>
>>>
>>> Right and if you also save the return type of the method you just 
>>> called into the registry besides the returned object on the Java 
>>> side, you can use it later...
>>>
>>>>  *
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   * step 3: the returned value gets the GETSCREENSIZE Rexx message
>>>>     sent to it causing JNI to be used and the Java method
>>>>     GETSCREENSIZE to be located and executed for the Java object
>>>>     returned from the previous step;
>>>>
>>>
>>> The method should then use the saved method return type from 
>>> previous step for looking up the GETSCREENSIZE method...
>>>
>>>>   * the returned Java object will be stored in the Java registry,
>>>>     its unique key (a string) returned, boxed as an ooRexx proxy
>>>>     object value that gets assigned to the Rexx variable DIM.
>>>>
>>>
>>> You should then store the getScreenSize() method's return type 
>>> besides the returned object under the key... You see the pattern?
>>>
>>>>  *
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Each step gets carried out contextless, i.e. there is no Java 
>>>> context available, that we (or the Java compiler) can see/infer 
>>>> when looking at a Java program.
>>>>
>>>
>>> When you invoke them method you not only store the returned object 
>>> but also the method's return type.
>>>
>>>
>>> If you need casting, then this would need to be explicit (like in Java).
>>>
>>> There's one problem with this scheme. What is the key you use to 
>>> register returned object? Is it based on object identity? When 
>>> methods return the same instance, is it saved under the same key? If 
>>> yes, which is understandable, then there might be a problem when two 
>>> methods with different return types return the same instance. Which 
>>> return type should you use to find methods for following invocations 
>>> then? Maybe the most specific type (if they are related) or both 
>>> (all) of them if they are not and then use them all to search for 
>>> methods.
>>>
>>> Regards, Peter
>>>
>>>> ---rony
>>>>
>>>> P.S.: Also it might be interesting to know, that with that same 
>>>> Rexx-Java bridge it is possible to implement Java methods from 
>>>> interface or abstract classes in Rexx! In that case there is a Java 
>>>> proxy class available for proxying Rexx objects and on the Rexx 
>>>> side there is a Rexx Directory to maintain the proxied Rexx objects 
>>>> for their Java proxies. Fun stuff! :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 06.01.2017 23:22, Peter Levart wrote:
>>>>> Hi Rony,
>>>>>
>>>>> On 01/06/2017 02:28 PM, Rony G. Flatscher wrote:
>>>>>>> >The j.l.r.Method object on which you call invoke() should not be obtained by inspecting the
>>>>>>> >methods of the implementation class given by getDefaultToolkit().getClass(). Implementation
>>>>>>> >classes (i.e. classes in non-exported packages) cannot be instantiated, nor their members
>>>>>>> >manipulated, by code outside their module.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >The j.l.r.Method object on which you call invoke() should be obtained by inspecting the methods of
>>>>>>> >the "public Java class" java.awt.Toolkit. The first argument that you pass to invoke(), indicating
>>>>>>> >the receiver, can still be instanceof the implementation class.
>>>>>> As was noted earlier, the information that some Java object xyz was created by some public method
>>>>>> "getDefaultToolkit()" and hence knowing that its return type would be that of the java.desktop
>>>>>> public class java.awt.Toolkit is not available at runtime.
>>>>>
>>>>> But it is. The method Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit() has a return 
>>>>> type. You can use reflection to find out that return type of that 
>>>>> method:
>>>>>
>>>>> Method getDefKitMeth = Toolkit.class.getMethod("getDefaultToolkit");
>>>>> Class<?> tkClass = getDefKitMeth.getReturnType();
>>>>>
>>>>> // now you can obtain the toolkit instance:
>>>>> Object tkInst = getDefKitMeth.invoke(null);
>>>>>
>>>>> // and obtain a method to be called upon it
>>>>> Method getScrSizMeth = tkClass.getMethod("getScreenSize");
>>>>>
>>>>> // and invoke it:
>>>>> Object screenSize = getScrSizMeth.invoke(tkInst);
>>>>>
>>>>> ... and so on...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You see, I never had to mention java.awt.Toolkit type explicitly 
>>>>> to invoke getScreenSize on an object of that type (or subtype). If 
>>>>> you think what a programmer does when he codes this in straight 
>>>>> Java without using reflection, it is the following:
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. He finds out a factory method on Toolkit class: 
>>>>> Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit()
>>>>> 2. He looks up the return type of that method (in javadocs).
>>>>> 3. He uses that type to declare a local variable to which it 
>>>>> assigns the result of the method invocation:
>>>>>
>>>>> java.awt.Toolkit tkInst = java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
>>>>>
>>>>> 4. He looks up and finds an instance method to call in type 
>>>>> java.awt.Toolkit: java.awt.Toolkit.getScreenSize() and writes it down:
>>>>>
>>>>> tkInst.getScreenSize();
>>>>>
>>>>> Above invocation is using static type java.awt.Toolkit - the 
>>>>> return type of Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().
>>>>>
>>>>> You can do similar things with reflection. Instead of using 
>>>>> anInstance.getClass() to get the runtime class of the instance, 
>>>>> you can use Method.getReturnType() of the method that was used to 
>>>>> obtain the instance. If API is designed so that no casts are 
>>>>> needed when you chain calls, then this should work.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards, Peter
>>
>



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