Reflection means ability of a software to analyze itself. In Java, Reflection API provides facility to analyze and change runtime behaviour of a Class, at runtime.
For example, using reflection at the runtime you can determine what method, field, constructor or modifers a class supports.
What is reflect package ?
java.lang.reflect package encapsulates several important interfaces and classes. These classes and interface define methods which are used for reflection.
Some Important Classes of java.lang.reflect package
| Class | What it does ? |
|---|---|
| Array | allow you to dynamically create and manipulate arrays |
| Constructor | gives information about constructor of a class |
| Field | provide information about field |
| Method | provide information about method |
| Modifier | provide information about class and member access modifier |
| Proxy | supports dynamic proxy classes |
Apart from these classes java.lang.Class is another very important class used in Reflection API.
Uses of Reflection
- Developing IDE
- Debugging and Test tools
- Loading drivers and providing dynamic information
Disadvantages of Reflection
- Low performance
- Security risk
- Violation of Oops concept