A runtime type-provider that gives case classes from strings, using standard (but still experimental) Scala reflection.

Add the following dependency:

"com.julianpeeters" %% "toolbox-type-provider" % "0.1"

Get a ToolBoxCaseClass instance with:

import com.julianpeeters.toolbox.provider._
import models.{FieldData, ClassData}

val fieldData = List(FieldData("age", "Int"))
val classData = ClassData(Some("mypackage"), "MyRuntimeClassName", fields)

val tbcc = new ToolBoxCaseClass(classData)

with which you will be a able to:

// get a `ClassSymbol` and enter Scala reflection
tbcc.runtimeClassSymbol

// get an instance of the newly generated class's companion object
tbcc.runtimeCompanionObject

// get an instance of the newly generated class
tbcc.runtimeInstance

// get the toolbox's classloader
tbcc.loader

// get an alias for the runtime type for use as a type parameter (in some contexts, ymmv)
myParameterizedThing[tbcc.TYPE]

0. Reflection circumvents type-saftey. If you find yourself here, please consider if you truly need to define classes at runtime. For example, in the example above, the schema file that is accessed at runtime is also accessible at compile-time, and therefore is candidate for a macro, which is type-safe.

1. The following Scala datatypes are supported:

   Boolean Long Float Double Short Int Byte Char String Unit Boolean Null Nothing AnyRef Any List Option

other case classes*

2. Scala reflection ToolBoxes load classes to a special ClassLoader, which is stored in the loader field of each TooBoxCaseClass

3. Only the generation of case classes with fields but no body are supported. This is due to concerns about hygeine, specifically restricting the generation of anonymous classes that may pollute the namespace.

4. *Currently only one class may be generated per package due to this error, and thus nested case classes are not yet supported until this is overcome.

5. The compile-time facility typeOf[] will only see the type alias or the dealiased .type call and not the underlying type that gets filled-in at runtime. Therefore entering Scala reflection via typeOf[tbcc.TYPE] does not work (unless somebody knows how to get a toolbox to generate a TypeTag at runtime?)