Is this a good way to do it? Is there better? If only java.sql had this... The real goal is to reduce Exception proliferation where it is unnecessary and to avoid the anti-pattern of String messages in exceptions (more out of temptation for newbies to parse them which is a horrid maintainability practice). Also, the offending object parameter could be identified by it's class or
instanceof. (I think an o.k. use of
instanceof). The class name could be debugged in this case.
public class IllegalChildException extends Exception {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public enum Code{
/* Codes */
WORKITEM("WorkItems can only have Stat children."),
STAT("Stats cannot have children."),
ROUTINE("Routines can have only Stat children.");
private String message;
Code(String message){this.message = message;}
public String message() { return message; }
}
private Code code;
private Object badChildObject;
public IllegalChildException(Code code, Object offendingChildObject) {
super(code.message());
this.code = code;
this.badChildObject = offendingChildObject;
}
public Code code() {
return code;
}
public Object getBadChildObject() {
return badChildObject;
}
}
