notes/pl/java/libfws/spring/spel.txt

https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-language-ref
https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/reference/html/core.html#expressions-ref-variables
https://nussknacker.io/documentation/docs/scenarios_authoring/Spel/

2024
SpringDeveloper - Spring Tips: the Spring Expression Language 0:00 of 38:50
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uvQQuxyAv4
2022
https://www.baeldung.com/spring-expression-language
2021
https://spring.io/blog/2021/01/13/ymnnalft-express-yourself-with-spel
2018
https://dzone.com/articles/learn-spring-expression-language-with-examples

artifacts
spring-expression-5.1.4.RELEASE.jar
org.springframework.xd.spring-xd.version=1.3.1.RELEASE
    spring-expression-4.2.4.RELEASE.jar

packages
org.springframework.expression 
org.springframework.expression.spel.support

import
import org.springframework.expression.spel.standard.SpelExpressionParser;

src
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/main/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/standard/SpelExpressionParser.java
https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-framework/blob/main/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/support/StandardEvaluationContext.java

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();

Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("'Hello World'");
String message = (String) exp.getValue();

Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("'Hello World'.bytes");
// invokes 'getBytes()'
byte[] bytes = (byte[]) exp.getValue();

// invokes 'getBytes().length'
Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("'Hello World'.bytes.length");
int length = (Integer) exp.getValue();

// call String c-tor
Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("new String('hello world').toUpperCase()");
String message = exp.getValue(String.class);

Note the use of the generic method public <T> T getValue(Class<T> desiredResultType).
Using this method removes the need to cast the value of the expression to the desired result type.
An EvaluationException will be thrown if the value cannot be cast to the type T or converted using the registered type converter.

The more common usage of SpEL is to provide an expression string that is evaluated against a specific object instance (called the root object).
There are two options here and which to choose depends on whether the object against which the expression is being evaluated
will be changing with each call to evaluate the expression.

In the following example we retrieve the name property from an instance of the Inventor class.

// Create and set a calendar
GregorianCalendar c = new GregorianCalendar();
c.set(1856, 7, 9);

// The constructor arguments are name, birthday, and nationality.
Inventor tesla = new Inventor("Nikola Tesla", c.getTime(), "Serbian");

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("name");

EvaluationContext context = new StandardEvaluationContext(tesla);
String name = (String) exp.getValue(context);


The class StandardEvaluationContext is where you can specify which object the "name" property will be evaluated against.
This is the mechanism to use if the root object is unlikely to change, it can simply be set once in the evaluation context.
If the root object is likely to change repeatedly, it can be supplied on each call to getValue, as this next example shows:

// Create and set a calendar
GregorianCalendar c = new GregorianCalendar();
c.set(1856, 7, 9);

// The constructor arguments are name, birthday, and nationality.
Inventor tesla = new Inventor("Nikola Tesla", c.getTime(), "Serbian");

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("name");
String name = (String) exp.getValue(tesla);

In this case the inventor tesla has been supplied directly to getValue and the expression evaluation infrastructure creates and manages
a default evaluation context internally - it did not require one to be supplied.


Expression exp = parser.parseExpression("name == 'Nikola Tesla'");
boolean result = exp.getValue(context, Boolean.class); // evaluates to true


The EvaluationContext interface
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-evaluation-context

The out-of-the-box implementation, StandardEvaluationContext, uses reflection to manipulate the object,
caching java.lang.reflect.Method, java.lang.reflect.Field, and java.lang.reflect.Constructor instances for increased performance

The StandardEvaluationContext is where you may specify the root object to evaluate against via the method setRootObject()
or passing the root object into the constructor.
You can also specify variables and functions that will be used in the expression using the methods setVariable() and registerFunction(). 
The use of variables and functions are described in the language reference sections Variables and Functions.
The StandardEvaluationContext is also where you can register custom ConstructorResolvers, MethodResolvers, and PropertyAccessors
to extend how SpEL evaluates expressions.

ype conversion

By default SpEL uses the conversion service available in Spring core ( org.springframework.core.convert.ConversionService).
This conversion service comes with many converters built in for common conversions but is also fully extensible
so custom conversions between types can be added.
Additionally it has the key capability that it is generics aware.
This means that when working with generic types in expressions, SpEL will attempt conversions to maintain type correctness for any objects it encounters.



What does this mean in practice? Suppose assignment, using setValue(), is being used to set a List property.
The type of the property is actually List<Boolean>.
SpEL will recognize that the elements of the list need to be converted to Boolean before being placed in it.

A simple example:

class Simple {
    public List<Boolean> booleanList = new ArrayList<Boolean>();
}

Simple simple = new Simple();

simple.booleanList.add(true);

StandardEvaluationContext simpleContext = new StandardEvaluationContext(simple);

// false is passed in here as a string. SpEL and the conversion service will
// correctly recognize that it needs to be a Boolean and convert it
parser.parseExpression("booleanList[0]").setValue(simpleContext, "false");

// b will be false
Boolean b = simple.booleanList.get(0);

Predefined stuff
* systemProperties

Annotation config
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-beandef-annotation-based

@Value - on fields, methods, method/c-tor params to specify a default value

Reference
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-language-ref

Literal
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-ref-literal

The types of literal expressions supported are strings, numeric values (int, real, hex), boolean and null.
Strings are delimited by single quotes.
!!! To put a single quote itself in a string, use two single quote characters. !!!

Variables
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-ref-variables

Variables can be referenced in the expression using the syntax #variableName.
Variables are set using the method setVariable on EvaluationContext implementations.

Inventor tesla = new Inventor("Nikola Tesla", "Serbian");

EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadWriteDataBinding().build();
context.setVariable("newName", "Mike Tesla");

parser.parseExpression("Name = #newName").getValue(context, tesla);
System.out.println(tesla.getName())  // "Mike Tesla"

The #this and #root variables

The variable #this is always defined and refers to the current evaluation object (against which unqualified references are resolved).
The variable #root is always defined and refers to the root context object.
Although #this may vary as components of an expression are evaluated, #root always refers to the root.

// create an array of integers
List<Integer> primes = new ArrayList<Integer>();
primes.addAll(Arrays.asList(2,3,5,7,11,13,17));

// create parser and set variable 'primes' as the array of integers
ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataAccess();
context.setVariable("primes", primes);

// all prime numbers > 10 from the list (using selection ?{...})
// evaluates to [11, 13, 17]
List<Integer> primesGreaterThanTen = (List<Integer>) parser.parseExpression(
        "#primes.?[#this>10]").getValue(context);


Functions
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-ref-functions

You can extend SpEL by registering user defined functions that can be called within the expression string.

Method method = ...;
EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();
context.setVariable("myFunction", method);


ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadOnlyDataBinding().build();
context.setVariable("reverseString",
        StringUtils.class.getDeclaredMethod("reverseString", String.class)); // register StringUtils.reverseString static helper
String helloWorldReversed = parser.parseExpression(
        "#reverseString('hello')").getValue(context, String.class);


Bean References
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-bean-references

If the evaluation context has been configured with a bean resolver it is possible to look up beans from an expression using the @ symbol.

ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser();
StandardEvaluationContext context = new StandardEvaluationContext();
context.setBeanResolver(new MyBeanResolver());
// This will end up calling resolve(context, "foo") on MyBeanResolver during evaluation
Object bean = parser.parseExpression("@foo").getValue(context);


To access a factory bean itself, the bean name should instead be prefixed with an & symbol.

// --//--

// This will end up calling resolve(context,"&foo") on MyBeanResolver during evaluation
Object bean = parser.parseExpression("&foo").getValue(context);


Operators
Ternary Operator (If-Then-Else)
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-operator-ternary
The Elvis Operator (?:)
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-operator-elvis
Safe Navigation Operator (?.)
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-operator-safe-navigation

The Elvis operator can be used to apply default values in expressions, e.g. in an @Value expression:

@Value("#{systemProperties['pop3.port'] ?: 25}")

This will inject a system property pop3.port if it is defined or 25 if not.


Collection Selection
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-collection-selection

Selection is a powerful expression language feature that allows you to transform some source collection into another by selecting from its entries.

Selection uses the syntax
    .?[selectionExpression].
This will filter the collection and return a new collection containing a subset of the original elements.
For example, selection would allow us to easily get a list of Serbian inventors:

List<Inventor> list = (List<Inventor>) parser.parseExpression("Members.?[Nationality == 'Serbian']").getValue(societyContext);

Selection is possible upon both lists and maps.
In the former case the selection criteria is evaluated against each individual list element
whilst against a map the selection criteria is evaluated against each map entry (objects of the Java type Map.Entry).
Map entries have their key and value accessible as properties for use in the selection.

This expression will return a new map consisting of those elements of the original map where the entry value is less than 27.

Map newMap = parser.parseExpression("map.?[value<27]").getValue();

In addition to returning all the selected elements, it is possible to retrieve just the first or the last value.
To obtain the first entry matching the selection the syntax is
    .^[selectionExpression]
whilst to obtain the last matching selection the syntax is
    .$[selectionExpression]

Collection Projection
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-collection-projection

Projection allows a collection to drive the evaluation of a sub-expression and the result is a new collection.
The syntax for projection is
    .![projectionExpression].
Most easily understood by example, suppose we have a list of inventors but want the list of cities where they were born.
Effectively we want to evaluate 'placeOfBirth.city' for every entry in the inventor list. Using projection:

// returns ['Smiljan', 'Idvor' ]
List placesOfBirth = (List)parser.parseExpression("Members.![placeOfBirth.city]");

A map can also be used to drive projection and in this case the projection expression is evaluated against each entry in the map
(represented as a Java Map.Entry).
The result of a projection across a map is a list consisting of the evaluation of the projection expression against each map entry.


Expression templating
https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/core.html#expressions-templating

static
    @Getter
    @Value("${num.fxproc:#{T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().availableProcessors()}}")
    private int numFXProc;