Groovy method with optional parameters

Question

I would like to write a wrapper method for a webservice, the service accepts 2 mandatory and 3 optional parameters.

To have a shorter example, I would like to get the f

Answer 1

Just a simplification of the Tim's answer. The groovy way to do it is using a map, as already suggested, but then let's put the mandatory parameters also in the map. This will look like this:

def someMethod(def args) {
    println "MANDATORY1=${args.mandatory1}"
    println "MANDATORY2=${args.mandatory2}"
    println "OPTIONAL1=${args?.optional1}"
    println "OPTIONAL2=${args?.optional2}"
}

someMethod mandatory1:1, mandatory2:2, optional1:3

with the output:

MANDATORY1=1
MANDATORY2=2
OPTIONAL1=3
OPTIONAL2=null

This looks nicer and the advantage of this is that you can change the order of the parameters as you like.

Answer 2

Can't be done as it stands... The code

def myMethod(pParm1='1', pParm2='2'){
    println "${pParm1}${pParm2}"
}

Basically makes groovy create the following methods:

Object myMethod( pParm1, pParm2 ) {
    println "$pParm1$pParm2"
}

Object myMethod( pParm1 ) {
    this.myMethod( pParm1, '2' )
}

Object myMethod() {
    this.myMethod( '1', '2' )
}

One alternative would be to have an optional Map as the first param:

def myMethod( Map map = [:], String mandatory1, String mandatory2 ){
    println "${mandatory1} ${mandatory2} ${map.parm1 ?: '1'} ${map.parm2 ?: '2'}"
}

myMethod( 'a', 'b' )                // prints 'a b 1 2'
myMethod( 'a', 'b', parm1:'value' ) // prints 'a b value 2'
myMethod( 'a', 'b', parm2:'2nd')    // prints 'a b 1 2nd'

Obviously, documenting this so other people know what goes in the magical map and what the defaults are is left to the reader ;-)

Answer 3

You can use arguments with default values.

def someMethod(def mandatory,def optional=null){}

if argument "optional" not exist, it turns to "null".