Load Class : Class Loader « Reflection « Java Tutorial

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2. Reflection
3. Class Loader

// $Id: ReflectionHelper.java 16271 2009-04-07 20:20:12Z hardy.ferentschik $
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* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
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import java.beans.Introspector;
import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
import java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject;
import java.lang.reflect.Field;
import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
import java.lang.reflect.Member;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;
import java.lang.reflect.WildcardType;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;


/**
 * Some reflection utility methods.
 *
 * @author Hardy Ferentschik
 */
public class ReflectionHelper {

  public static Class<?> loadClass(String name, Class<?> caller) throws ClassNotFoundException {
    try {
      //try context classloader, if fails try caller classloader
      ClassLoader loader = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
      if ( loader != null ) {
        return loader.loadClass( name );
      }
    }
    catch ( ClassNotFoundException e ) {
      //trying caller classloader
      if ( caller == null ) {
        throw e;
      }
    }
    return Class.forName( name, true, caller.getClassLoader() );
  }
}