Problems marshalling a map in Jaxb

Question

I have a class world that contains a map of humans. If I marshal the class world I get following output:

    
        &l         


        

Answer 1

My solution

I added the key attribute to human and then I converted the map to an array:

@XmlRootElement
public class World {

    @XmlJavaTypeAdapter(HumanAdapter.class)
    private Map<String, Human> humans = new HashMap<String, Human>();

    public World(){}
}

public class Human {

    @XmlElement
    private String name;

    @XmlAttribute(name="key")
    private String key;

    public Human(){}
}

public class HumanAdapter extends XmlAdapter<HumanJaxbCrutch, Map<String, Human>> {

    @Override
    public HumanJaxbCrutch marshal(Map<String, Human> humans) throws Exception {
        List<Human> list = new ArrayList<Human>();
        for (Entry<String, Human> entry : humans.entrySet()) {
            list.add(entry.getValue());
        }

        HumanJaxbCrutch humanJaxbCrutch = new HumanJaxbCrutch();
        humanJaxbCrutch.setCourses(list.toArray(new Human[list.size()])); 

        return humanJaxbCrutch;
    }

    @Override
    public Map<String, Human> unmarshal(HumanJaxbCrutch humans) throws Exception {
        Map<String, Human> map = new HashMap<String, Human>();

        for(Human human : humans.getCourses()){
            map.put(human.getKey(), human);
        }

        return map;
    }
}

class HumanJaxbCrutch {

    private Human[] courses;

    @XmlElement(name = "human")
    public Human[] getCourses() {
        return courses;
    }

    public void setCourses(Human[] courses) {
        this.courses = courses;
    }
}

Answer 2

As was pointed out by ilcavero an XmlAdapter can be used to apply an alternative mapping to Map (or any type) in JAXB. Below is a link to a concrete example:

• http://blog.bdoughan.com/2010/07/xmladapter-jaxbs-secret-weapon.html

For More Information

• http://blog.bdoughan.com/search/label/XmlAdapter

Answer 3

I think you are looking for the XmlValue annotation : http://jaxb.java.net/tutorial/section_6_2_7_4-Mapping-a-Class-to-Simple-Content-or-Simple-Type-XmlValue.html#Mapping%20a%20Class%20to%20Simple%20Content%20or%20Simple%20Type:%20XmlValue

In your case it would be applied to HumanEntry.value instead of XmlElement