Custom class loader

[achit bhatnager]

How can I obtain an Object instance from a 'Class' loaded by a custom class loader. I understand 'ClassCastException' in the output. Do I have any option or go via 'Reflection' route?
Thanks
Achit

  
MyClassLoader myLoader = new MyClassLoader();
System.out.println(" Class loader for MyClassLoader:"+myLoader.getClass().getClassLoader());
Class loadedClass= myLoader.findClass("XYZ");

Class[] argTypes = {String.class};
Method worker = loadedClass.getMethod("logMessage",argTypes);
Object[] theData={"This is fun"};
worker.invoke(loadedClass.newInstance(),theData);
System.out.println(" Instance class loader:"+loadedClass.newInstance().getClass().getClassLoader());
System.out.println(" Class class loader:"+loadedClass.getClassLoader());

try{

//ClassLoader cloader1 = new MyClassLoader();
        //Class logger1= cloader1.loadClass("XYZ");
//XYZ xyz=(XYZ)logger1.newInstance();
XYZ xyz=(XYZ)loadedClass.newInstance();
xyz.logMessage("Thisis fun"); 
System.out.println(" Instance(xyz) class loader:"+xyz.getClass().getClassLoader());
System.out.println(" Class(XYZ) class loader:"+loadedClass.getClassLoader());
}catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
System.out.println("Some error");
}

Output :C:\>java MyClassLoader
Class loader for MyClassLoader:sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader@12f6684
This is fun
Instance class loader:MyClassLoader@360be0
Class class loader:MyClassLoader@360be0
java.lang.ClassCastException
at MyClassLoader.main(MyClassLoader.java:68)
Some error

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Normally, if you know the exact name of a class at compile time, there isn't much of a reason to load that class via a custom class loader and then also via the system class loader, as you've done here. The ClassCastException is due to your trying to cast the instance loaded by the custom loader to the class loaded by the system class loader, which doesn't work as they're effectively two separate classes.
The much more common situation is that there's an interface, and you want to use a custom loader to load a class that implements that interface, while the interface class itself is loaded by the system class loader. Then you'll have no trouble casting the object to the interface type and calling its methods.
Make sense?

[Maulin Vasavada]

Hi Ernest
In the common scenario where people use Interfaces and then it would not give ClassCastException as you say. Now, is the reason for that is,
- When we have an object that implements interface and we try to cast it
to interface type then the JVM just sees if the object implements (or extends in a way??) that interface or not hence different classloader types don't matter..
Am I right?
Regards
Maulin

[Maulin Vasavada]

hello? renewing timestamp...

[achit bhatnager]

Thanks guys,
It was a mistake(misunderstood concept!!) on my part. I understand class laoded form different class loaders are not same. Even if they have the same name and loaded from the same location.Thats why I wrote in my initial post.

I understand 'ClassCastException' in the output

I assumed since the class is loaded by MyClassLoaded JVM will use same class def. Which is not the case. I figured it out later.
Thanks again for you help.
Achit