Implementing serializable interface for reference class

[ashok sashrith]

Hi All,

I am using a class "CustomValidate.java" in my application. As it is one of the ResultClass (Struts), I have implemented the Serializable interface in the "CustomValidate.java". But still it throws java.io.Serialization exception?

I read from the net that all the class referred inside the Serializable class also needs to implement the Serializable interface to make the object Serializable.

My question is; The "CustomValidate.java" referring two (only following two lines) such external class in a method like the following:

Keys.FirstName (accessing a constant value from Keys.java)
Util.format(FirstName) (Calling a method which is in Util.java)

Does this classes "Keys.java" and "Util.java" also needs to implement the Serializable interface? Please suggest.

Thanks in advance.

Ashok
[ February 22, 2006: Message edited by: ashok sashrith ]

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

No, neither of these cases should be a problem. You should get a Serialization error only if you have a member variable of a non-serializable type, or a member variable of a type which itself contains a reference to a nonserializable type, and so on. For example, you might have a member of type ArrayList (which is serializable) holding a bunch of Socket objects (which are not.)

Maybe you can show the code for this class?

[ashok sashrith]

Thanks Ernest and here is the code for the same.

  import com.Util;
import com.Keys;
 

public class CustomValidate implements Serializable
{
 

    public static boolean isValidTwoFields(
        Object bean,
        ValidatorAction va,
        Field field,
        ActionErrors errors,
        HttpServletRequest request)
    {
        String value = ValidatorUtil.getValueAsString(bean, field.getProperty());
        value = Util.unformat(value);
        if (!GenericValidator.isBlankOrNull(value))
        {
            try
            {
                String sProperty2 = field.getVarValue(Keys.PROPERTY);
                String value2 = ValidatorUtil.getValueAsString(bean, sProperty2);
                value2 = Util.unformat(value2);
                if (!value.equals(value2))
                {
                    errors.add(field.getVarValue(Keys.PROPERTY), Resources.getActionError(request, va, field));
 
                    return false;
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                errors.add(field.getKey(), Resources.getActionError(request, va, field));
 
                return false;
            }
        }
 
        return true;
    }
}  

Hope it helps. Thanks in advance.