Java tutorial
public final class PrimitiveUtils { public static Class getClass(String value) { Class clz = null; if ("int".equals(value)) { clz = int.class; } if ("byte".equals(value)) { clz = byte.class; } if ("short".equals(value)) { clz = short.class; } if ("long".equals(value)) { clz = long.class; } if ("float".equals(value)) { clz = float.class; } if ("double".equals(value)) { clz = double.class; } if ("boolean".equals(value)) { clz = boolean.class; } if ("char".equals(value)) { clz = char.class; } return clz; } public static Object read(String value, Class type) { Object ret = value; if (Integer.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Integer.valueOf(value); } if (Byte.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Byte.valueOf(value); } if (Short.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Short.valueOf(value); } if (Long.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Long.valueOf(value); } if (Float.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Float.valueOf(value); } if (Double.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Double.valueOf(value); } if (Boolean.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = Boolean.valueOf(value); } if (Character.TYPE.equals(type)) { ret = value.charAt(0); } // TODO others. return ret; } }