JAXB 2.x: Abstract methods get marshalled as Attribute

Question

I have an abstract root class, let's say A.

And I have several implementation classes extending A.

A has FIELD annotation as well as some @XmlElement annotated properties.

A also has an abstract method.

When marshalling (B extends A), the value returned by the abstract method gets marshalled as attribute. Not as expected, right?

@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.FIELD)
public abstract class SpecialProfile extends ContentNodeBean {

  @XmlElement(name="do-index", namespace="my")
  private boolean doIndex = false;

  public abstract SpecialProfileType getSpecialProfileType();

  ... getters and setters for properties ...   
}

Does anybody have the same issue and how can this be fixed?

I am using org.eclipse.persistence.moxy 2.1.2

Answer 1

I am attempting to reproduce your issue, but so far have been unsuccessful. Can you see where I'm doing something different than you are? The following is my sample code:

A

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.*;

@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.FIELD)
public abstract class A {

    public abstract C getC();
    public abstract void setC(C c);

}

B

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlRootElement;

@XmlRootElement
public class B extends A {

    private C c;

    @Override
    public C getC() {
        return c;
    }

    @Override
    public void setC(C c) {
        this.c = c;
    }

}

C

public class C {

}

Demo

import javax.xml.bind.JAXBContext;
import javax.xml.bind.Marshaller;
import org.eclipse.persistence.Version;

public class Demo {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        System.out.println(Version.getVersionString());

        JAXBContext jc = JAXBContext.newInstance(B.class);
        System.out.println(jc);

        B b = new B();
        b.setC(new C());

        Marshaller marshaller = jc.createMarshaller();
        marshaller.marshal(b,System.out);
    }

}

Output

2.1.2.v20101206-r8635
org.eclipse.persistence.jaxb.JAXBContext@100ab23
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<b xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:type="b"><c/></b>

---

UPDATE

Based on your comments:

• B does not inherit A's XmlAccessorType settings.
• It is not the abstract method that you need to mark @XmlTransient, but the field used to implement the accessor on the B class.

The following is what class B should look like:

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAccessType;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAccessorType;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlRootElement;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlTransient;

@XmlRootElement
@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.FIELD)
public class B extends A {

    @XmlTransient
    private C c;

    @Override
    public C getC() {
        return c;
    }

    @Override
    public void setC(C c) {
        this.c = c;
    }

}