Create an instance within Abstract Class using Reflection

Question

Is it possible to create an instance of a derived class in abstract ancestor class using reflection Lets say:

abstract class Base {

public Base createInstan         


        

Answer 1

Proving it works is easy:

abstract class Base {
  public Base createInstance() throws Exception {
    return getClass().newInstance();
  }
}

public class Derived extends Base {
  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    System.out.println(new Derived().createInstance().getClass());
  }
}

prints

class test.Derived

You should ask yourself twice why you need it and whether it is really a good approach for your problem. If you need cloning, consider the clone mechanism, which does basically the same thing.