How do I find the caller of a method using stacktrace or reflection?

Question

I need to find the caller of a method. Is it possible using stacktrace or reflection?

Answer 1

     /**
       * Get the method name for a depth in call stack. 

       * Utility function
       * @param depth depth in the call stack (0 means current method, 1 means call method, ...)
       * @return method name
       */
      public static String getMethodName(final int depth)
      {
        final StackTraceElement[] ste = new Throwable().getStackTrace();

        //System. out.println(ste[ste.length-depth].getClassName()+"#"+ste[ste.length-depth].getMethodName());
        return ste[ste.length - depth].getMethodName();
      }

---

For example, if you try to get the calling method line for debug purpose, you need to get past the Utility class in which you code those static methods:
(old java1.4 code, just to illustrate a potential StackTraceElement usage)

        /**
          * Returns the first "[class#method(line)]: " of the first class not equal to "StackTraceUtils". 

          * From the Stack Trace.
          * @return "[class#method(line)]: " (never empty, first class past StackTraceUtils)
          */
        public static String getClassMethodLine()
        {
            return getClassMethodLine(null);
        }

        /**
          * Returns the first "[class#method(line)]: " of the first class not equal to "StackTraceUtils" and aclass. 

          * Allows to get past a certain class.
          * @param aclass class to get pass in the stack trace. If null, only try to get past StackTraceUtils. 
          * @return "[class#method(line)]: " (never empty, because if aclass is not found, returns first class past StackTraceUtils)
          */
        public static String getClassMethodLine(final Class aclass)
        {
            final StackTraceElement st = getCallingStackTraceElement(aclass);
            final String amsg = "[" + st.getClassName() + "#" + st.getMethodName() + "(" + st.getLineNumber()
            +")] <" + Thread.currentThread().getName() + ">: ";
            return amsg;
        }

     /**
       * Returns the first stack trace element of the first class not equal to "StackTraceUtils" or "LogUtils" and aClass. 

       * Stored in array of the callstack. 

       * Allows to get past a certain class.
       * @param aclass class to get pass in the stack trace. If null, only try to get past StackTraceUtils. 
       * @return stackTraceElement (never null, because if aClass is not found, returns first class past StackTraceUtils)
       * @throws AssertionFailedException if resulting statckTrace is null (RuntimeException)
       */
      public static StackTraceElement getCallingStackTraceElement(final Class aclass)
      {
        final Throwable           t         = new Throwable();
        final StackTraceElement[] ste       = t.getStackTrace();
        int index = 1;
        final int limit = ste.length;
        StackTraceElement   st        = ste[index];
        String              className = st.getClassName();
        boolean aclassfound = false;
        if(aclass == null)
        {
            aclassfound = true;
        }
        StackTraceElement   resst = null;
        while(index < limit)
        {
            if(shouldExamine(className, aclass) == true)
            {
                if(resst == null)
                {
                    resst = st;
                }
                if(aclassfound == true)
                {
                    final StackTraceElement ast = onClassfound(aclass, className, st);
                    if(ast != null)
                    {
                        resst = ast;
                        break;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    if(aclass != null && aclass.getName().equals(className) == true)
                    {
                        aclassfound = true;
                    }
                }
            }
            index = index + 1;
            st        = ste[index];
            className = st.getClassName();
        }
        if(resst == null) 
        {
            //Assert.isNotNull(resst, "stack trace should null"); //NO OTHERWISE circular dependencies 
            throw new AssertionFailedException(StackTraceUtils.getClassMethodLine() + " null argument:" + "stack trace should null"); //$NON-NLS-1$
        }
        return resst;
      }

      static private boolean shouldExamine(String className, Class aclass)
      {
          final boolean res = StackTraceUtils.class.getName().equals(className) == false && (className.endsWith("LogUtils"
            ) == false || (aclass !=null && aclass.getName().endsWith("LogUtils")));
          return res;
      }

      static private StackTraceElement onClassfound(Class aclass, String className, StackTraceElement st)
      {
          StackTraceElement   resst = null;
          if(aclass != null && aclass.getName().equals(className) == false)
          {
              resst = st;
          }
          if(aclass == null)
          {
              resst = st;
          }
          return resst;
      }