New way to create immutable object in Java ['record'] JEP 384: Records

As a Java developer, we use POJO every day in our coding. We have to write or generate codes of accessor methods and other methods like 'equals', 'toString' and 'hashCode' or use a library like Lombok. 

To make it more simplified Java introducing 'record'. Using which developer need not have to generate or write these code. 

Some of the features of these 'record' class. 

• implicitly they are final so it cannot be extended or abstracted but can implement an interface. 
• java.lang.Record is the superclass of record 
• A record cannot define the native method. 
• A record field(s)  is/are implicitly final

Let's see with an example. 

A simple record with no boilerplate code. It provides field accessor method, 'toString', 'equals' and 'hashCode' readily available. 

	package dto;
	import java.time.LocalDate;
	public record Person(Name name, LocalDate dob, Address address) {
	}

view raw Person.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

A record with multiple constructors and instance method. 

	package dto;
	public record Address(String line1, String line2,String country,String zipcode) {
	public Address(String line1, String line2, String zipcode) {
	this(line1, line2, "India", zipcode);
	}
	// Instance Method
	public String fullAddress() {
	return line1 + " " + line2 + " " + country + " " + zipcode;
	}
	}

view raw Address.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

A record with constructor level validation, static method and override 'equals' method. 

	package dto;
	public record Name(Title title, String fname, String lname) {
	public enum Title { Mr, Mrs, Miss, Master, Dr, Prof}
	public Name {
	if(fname == null || lname == null) {
	throw new IllegalArgumentException("First name and / or Last name cannot be null");
	}
	}
	// static method
	public static String fullNameToUpper(Name name) {
	return (name.title() + " " + name.fname() + " " + name.lname()).toUpperCase();
	}
	// Custom equals method. Not considering title here
	// Do remember that hashCode method also need to be changed
	// As this is just an example. Not overriding hashCode method
	@Override
	public boolean equals(Object obj) {
	if(obj == this) {
	return true;
	}
	return obj instanceof Name name && name.fname().equals(fname()) && name.lname().equals(lname());
	}
	}

view raw Name.java hosted with ❤ by GitHub

In this class, we are accessing the field with the internal method and other methods like 'toString', 'equals' and 'hashCode'. 

	import dto.*;
	import java.time.*;
	public class TestRecord {
	public static void main(String[] args) {
	String fname = "Andy";
	String lname = "Banerjee";
	Name name = new Name(Name.Title.Mr, fname, lname);
	LocalDate dob = LocalDate.of(1990,Month.JANUARY,01);
	Address addressInIndia = new Address("Networking Street", "Hacker Avenue", "PINcode");
	Person person = new Person(name, dob, addressInIndia);
	System.out.println("Person Name: " + person.name());
	System.out.println("Date of Birth: " + person.dob());
	System.out.println("Address: " + person.address());
	System.out.println("hashCode() = " + person.hashCode());
	System.out.println("toString() = " + person.toString());
	Person clonePerson = new Person(name, dob, addressInIndia);
	Address addressOutsideIndia = new Address("Networking Street", "Hacker Avenue", "USA", "ZIPcode");
	Person anotherPerson = new Person(name, dob, addressOutsideIndia);
	System.out.println("=====================================");
	System.out.println("\n Person object A : " + person);
	System.out.println("\n Person Object B : " + clonePerson);
	System.out.println("\n Person Object C : " + anotherPerson);
	System.out.println("=====================================");
	System.out.println("Person A & B. Both are equals? => " + person.equals(clonePerson));
	System.out.println("Person A & C. Both are equals ? => " + person.equals(anotherPerson));
	Name nameWithDrTitle = new Name(Name.Title.Dr, fname, lname);
	System.out.println("How custom equals working ? Ignoring the title here => " + name.equals(nameWithDrTitle));
	System.out.println("Invoking the static method => " + Name.fullNameToUpper(nameWithDrTitle));
	System.out.println("Invoking the instance method => " + addressOutsideIndia.fullAddress());
	try {
	Name recordWithValidationCheck = new Name(Name.Title.Mr, null, null);
	} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
	System.out.println("Added validation. \t::::::: \t" + e.getMessage());
	}
	}
	}

view raw TestRecord hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Output 

To compile these codes 

javac --enable-preview --release 15 TestRecord.java

To Run these codes 

java --enable-preview TestRecord

Happy coding and keep learning!