Java tutorial
package com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node; import java.io.IOException; import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.*; import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode; import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.SerializerProvider; import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.jsontype.TypeSerializer; /** * This singleton node class is generated to denote "missing nodes" * along paths that do not exist. For example, if a path via * element of an array is requested for an element outside range * of elements in the array; or for a non-array value, result * will be reference to this node. *<p> * In most respects this placeholder node will act as {@link NullNode}; * for example, for purposes of value conversions, value is considered * to be null and represented as value zero when used for numeric * conversions. */ public final class MissingNode extends ValueNode { private final static MissingNode instance = new MissingNode(); private MissingNode() { } // Immutable: no need to copy @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") @Override public <T extends JsonNode> T deepCopy() { return (T) this; } public static MissingNode getInstance() { return instance; } @Override public JsonNodeType getNodeType() { return JsonNodeType.MISSING; } @Override public JsonToken asToken() { return JsonToken.NOT_AVAILABLE; } @Override public String asText() { return ""; } @Override public String asText(String defaultValue) { return defaultValue; } // // Note: not a numeric node, hence default 'asXxx()' are fine: /* public int asInt(int defaultValue); public long asLong(long defaultValue); public double asDouble(double defaultValue); public boolean asBoolean(boolean defaultValue); */ @Override public final void serialize(JsonGenerator jg, SerializerProvider provider) throws IOException, JsonProcessingException { /* Nothing to output... should we signal an error tho? * Chances are, this is an erroneous call. For now, let's * not do that; serialize as explicit null. Why? Because we * can not just omit a value as JSON Object field name may have * been written out. */ jg.writeNull(); } @Override public void serializeWithType(JsonGenerator jg, SerializerProvider provider, TypeSerializer typeSer) throws IOException, JsonProcessingException { jg.writeNull(); } @Override public boolean equals(Object o) { /* Hmmh. Since there's just a singleton instance, this * fails in all cases but with identity comparison. * However: if this placeholder value was to be considered * similar to SQL NULL, it shouldn't even equal itself? * That might cause problems when dealing with collections * like Sets... so for now, let's let identity comparison * return true. */ return (o == this); } @Override public String toString() { // toString() should never return null return ""; } }