Field annotation to simplify lazy initialization.

Example usage without any special modifiers just defers initialization until the first call but is not thread-safe:

 @Lazy T x
 

 private T $x

 T getX() {
    if ($x != null)
       return $x
    else {
       $x = new T()
       return $x
    }
 }
 

 @Lazy volatile T x
 

 private volatile T $x

 T getX() {
    T $x_local = $x
    if ($x_local != null)
       return $x_local
    else {
       synchronized(this) {
          if ($x == null) {
             $x = new T()
          }
          return $x
       }
    }
 }
 

 @Lazy T x = { [1, 2, 3] } ()
 

 private T $x

 T getX() {
    T $x_local = $x
    if ($x_local != null)
       return $x_local
    else {
       synchronized(this) {
          if ($x == null) {
             $x = { [1, 2, 3] } ()
          }
          return $x
       }
    }
 }
 

@Lazy(soft=true) will use a soft reference instead of the field and use the above rules each time re-initialization is required.

If the soft flag for the annotation is not set but the field is static, then the initialization on demand holder idiom is used as follows:

 @Lazy static FieldType field
 @Lazy static Date date1
 @Lazy static Date date2 = { new Date().copyWith(year: 2000) }()
 @Lazy static Date date3 = new GregorianCalendar(2009, Calendar.JANUARY, 1).time
 

 private static class FieldTypeHolder_field {
     private static final FieldType INSTANCE = new FieldType()
 }

 private static class DateHolder_date1 {
     private static final Date INSTANCE = new Date()
 }

 private static class DateHolder_date2 {
     private static final Date INSTANCE = { new Date().copyWith(year: 2000) }()
 }

 private static class DateHolder_date3 {
     private static final Date INSTANCE = new GregorianCalendar(2009, Calendar.JANUARY, 1).time
 }

 static FieldType getField() {
     return FieldTypeHolder_field.INSTANCE
 }

 static Date getDate1() {
     return DateHolder_date1.INSTANCE
 }

 static Date getDate2() {
     return DateHolder_date2.INSTANCE
 }

 static Date getDate3() {
     return DateHolder_date3.INSTANCE
 }