org.apache.wicket.util.convert
Interface IConverter

All Superinterfaces:

IClusterable, java.io.Serializable

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractConverter, AbstractDecimalConverter, AbstractIntegerConverter, AbstractNumberConverter, BigDecimalConverter, BooleanConverter, ByteConverter, CharacterConverter, DateConverter, DateConverter, DoubleConverter, FloatConverter, IntegerConverter, LongConverter, MaskConverter, PatternDateConverter, ShortConverter, SqlDateConverter, SqlTimeConverter, SqlTimestampConverter, StyleDateConverter, ZeroPaddingIntegerConverter

public interface IConverter
extends IClusterable

Converts input to output and vice versa. Converters are needed in web applications because we have to switch between Java objects on the server and Strings in the browser output and input.

Output conversion, which is handled by convertToString(Object, Locale), is typically used by components when they render, so that a date can be displayed as '12/12/2007'. Input conversion, handled by convertToObject(String, Locale), is typically used by form components to interpret incoming values Such values are strings as they are send as request parameters from browsers. An incoming value could be the string '12/12/2007' which could be translated to a corresponding Date object. Notice that incoming value, when used by a FormComponent, will never be null because before validation form components perform the required (see FormComponent.isRequired() check which errors out on null values. In the case the FormComponent is not required and the user enters a null value converters will not be invoked because no type conversion is necessary.

Author:

Eelco Hillenius, Jonathan Locke

Method Summary

java.lang.Object	convertToObject(java.lang.String value, java.util.Locale locale) Converts the given String value
java.lang.String	convertToString(java.lang.Object value, java.util.Locale locale) Converts the given value to a string.

Method Detail

convertToObject

java.lang.Object convertToObject(java.lang.String value,
                                 java.util.Locale locale)

Converts the given String value

Parameters:

value - The string value to convert

locale - The locale used to convert the value

Returns:

The converted value

convertToString

java.lang.String convertToString(java.lang.Object value,
                                 java.util.Locale locale)

Converts the given value to a string.

Parameters:

value - The value to convert

locale - The locale used to convert the value

Returns:

The converted string value