Is it possible to use struct-like constructs in Java?

Question

I\'m considering using Java for a large project but I haven\'t been able to find anything that remotely represented structures in Java. I need to be able to convert network

Answer 1

You're basically asking whether you can use a C-specific solution to a problem in another language. The answer is, predictably, 'no'.

However, it is perfectly possible to construct a class that takes a set of bytes in its constructor and constructs an appropriate instance.

class Foo {

  int someField;
  String anotherField;

  public Foo(byte[] bytes) {
    someField = someFieldFromBytes(bytes);
    anotherField = anotherFieldFromBytes(bytes);
    etc.
 }
}

You can ensure there is a one-to-one mapping of class instances to byte arrays. Add a toBytes() method to serialize an instance into bytes.