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Spring - Directly setting fields via DirectFieldAccess

[Last Updated: Oct 23, 2025]

DirectFieldAccessor is another implementation of ConfigurablePropertyAccessor which can be used to directly setting/getting instance fields.

DirectFieldAccessor supports nested property paths and collection indexed access as well.

Examples

Bean

package com.logicbig.example;

class Person {
  private String name;
  private int age;

  @Override
  public String toString() {
      return "Person{" +
              "name='" + name + '\'' +
              ", age=" + age +
              '}';
  }
}

Using DirectFieldAccessor

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.DirectFieldAccessor;

public class DirectFieldAccessorExample {

    public static void main (String[] args) {
        DirectFieldAccessor fieldAccessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(new Person());
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("name", "Mike");
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("age", "32");
        Object person = fieldAccessor.getWrappedInstance();
        System.out.println(person);
    }
}

Output

Person{name='Mike', age=32}

Setting nested properties using DirectFieldAccessor

package com.logicbig.example;

import java.util.List;

class PersonGroup {
    private String groupName;
    private List<Person> personList;

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "PersonGroup{" +
                "groupName='" + groupName + '\'' +
                ", personList=" + personList +
                '}';
    }
}
package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.DirectFieldAccessor;
import java.util.ArrayList;

public class DirectFieldAccessorNestedFieldsExample {

    public static void main (String[] args) {
        DirectFieldAccessor fieldAccessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(new PersonGroup());
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("groupName", "BaseballTeam");
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList", new ArrayList<>());

        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[0]", new Person());
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[0].name", "Mike");
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[0].age", 24);

        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[1]", new Person());
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[1].name", "Raj");
        fieldAccessor.setPropertyValue("personList[1].age", 26);

        Object personGroup = fieldAccessor.getWrappedInstance();
        System.out.println(personGroup);
    }
}

Output

PersonGroup{groupName='BaseballTeam', personList=[Person{name='Mike', age=24}, Person{name='Raj', age=26}]}

Example Project

Dependencies and Technologies Used:

  • spring-context 6.2.12 (Spring Context)
     Version Compatibility: 4.2.0.RELEASE - 6.2.12Version List
    ×

    Version compatibilities of spring-context with this example:

    • 4.2.0.RELEASE
    • 4.2.1.RELEASE
    • 4.2.2.RELEASE
    • 4.2.3.RELEASE
    • 4.2.4.RELEASE
    • 4.2.5.RELEASE
    • 4.2.6.RELEASE
    • 4.2.7.RELEASE
    • 4.2.8.RELEASE
    • 4.2.9.RELEASE
    • 4.3.0.RELEASE
    • 4.3.1.RELEASE
    • 4.3.2.RELEASE
    • 4.3.3.RELEASE
    • 4.3.4.RELEASE
    • 4.3.5.RELEASE
    • 4.3.6.RELEASE
    • 4.3.7.RELEASE
    • 4.3.8.RELEASE
    • 4.3.9.RELEASE
    • 4.3.10.RELEASE
    • 4.3.11.RELEASE
    • 4.3.12.RELEASE
    • 4.3.13.RELEASE
    • 4.3.14.RELEASE
    • 4.3.15.RELEASE
    • 4.3.16.RELEASE
    • 4.3.17.RELEASE
    • 4.3.18.RELEASE
    • 4.3.19.RELEASE
    • 4.3.20.RELEASE
    • 4.3.21.RELEASE
    • 4.3.22.RELEASE
    • 4.3.23.RELEASE
    • 4.3.24.RELEASE
    • 4.3.25.RELEASE
    • 4.3.26.RELEASE
    • 4.3.27.RELEASE
    • 4.3.28.RELEASE
    • 4.3.29.RELEASE
    • 4.3.30.RELEASE
    • 5.0.0.RELEASE
    • 5.0.1.RELEASE
    • 5.0.2.RELEASE
    • 5.0.3.RELEASE
    • 5.0.4.RELEASE
    • 5.0.5.RELEASE
    • 5.0.6.RELEASE
    • 5.0.7.RELEASE
    • 5.0.8.RELEASE
    • 5.0.9.RELEASE
    • 5.0.10.RELEASE
    • 5.0.11.RELEASE
    • 5.0.12.RELEASE
    • 5.0.13.RELEASE
    • 5.0.14.RELEASE
    • 5.0.15.RELEASE
    • 5.0.16.RELEASE
    • 5.0.17.RELEASE
    • 5.0.18.RELEASE
    • 5.0.19.RELEASE
    • 5.0.20.RELEASE
    • 5.1.0.RELEASE
    • 5.1.1.RELEASE
    • 5.1.2.RELEASE
    • 5.1.3.RELEASE
    • 5.1.4.RELEASE
    • 5.1.5.RELEASE
    • 5.1.6.RELEASE
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    • 5.1.9.RELEASE
    • 5.1.10.RELEASE
    • 5.1.11.RELEASE
    • 5.1.12.RELEASE
    • 5.1.13.RELEASE
    • 5.1.14.RELEASE
    • 5.1.15.RELEASE
    • 5.1.16.RELEASE
    • 5.1.17.RELEASE
    • 5.1.18.RELEASE
    • 5.1.19.RELEASE
    • 5.1.20.RELEASE
    • 5.2.0.RELEASE
    • 5.2.1.RELEASE
    • 5.2.2.RELEASE
    • 5.2.3.RELEASE
    • 5.2.4.RELEASE
    • 5.2.5.RELEASE
    • 5.2.6.RELEASE
    • 5.2.7.RELEASE
    • 5.2.8.RELEASE
    • 5.2.9.RELEASE
    • 5.2.10.RELEASE
    • 5.2.11.RELEASE
    • 5.2.12.RELEASE
    • 5.2.13.RELEASE
    • 5.2.14.RELEASE
    • 5.2.15.RELEASE
    • 5.2.16.RELEASE
    • 5.2.17.RELEASE
    • 5.2.18.RELEASE
    • 5.2.19.RELEASE
    • 5.2.20.RELEASE
    • 5.2.21.RELEASE
    • 5.2.22.RELEASE
    • 5.2.23.RELEASE
    • 5.2.24.RELEASE
    • 5.2.25.RELEASE
    • 5.3.0
    • 5.3.1
    • 5.3.2
    • 5.3.3
    • 5.3.4
    • 5.3.5
    • 5.3.6
    • 5.3.7
    • 5.3.8
    • 5.3.9
    • 5.3.10
    • 5.3.11
    • 5.3.12
    • 5.3.13
    • 5.3.14
    • 5.3.15
    • 5.3.16
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    • 5.3.34
    • 5.3.35
    • 5.3.36
    • 5.3.37
    • 5.3.38
    • 5.3.39
    • Compatible Java Version: 17+
    • 6.0.0
    • 6.0.1
    • 6.0.2
    • 6.0.3
    • 6.0.4
    • 6.0.5
    • 6.0.6
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    • 6.0.18
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    • 6.0.20
    • 6.0.21
    • 6.0.22
    • 6.0.23
    • 6.1.0
    • 6.1.1
    • 6.1.2
    • 6.1.3
    • 6.1.4
    • 6.1.5
    • 6.1.6
    • 6.1.7
    • 6.1.8
    • 6.1.9
    • 6.1.10
    • 6.1.11
    • 6.1.12
    • 6.1.13
    • 6.1.14
    • 6.1.15
    • 6.1.16
    • 6.1.17
    • 6.1.18
    • 6.1.19
    • 6.1.20
    • 6.1.21
    • 6.2.0
    • 6.2.1
    • 6.2.2
    • 6.2.3
    • 6.2.4
    • 6.2.5
    • 6.2.6
    • 6.2.7
    • 6.2.8
    • 6.2.9
    • 6.2.10
    • 6.2.11
    • 6.2.12

    Versions in green have been tested.

  • JDK 25
  • Maven 3.8.1

Spring - DirectFieldAccessor Example Select All Download
  • spring-bean-direct-field-accessor-example
    • src
      • main
        • java
          • com
            • logicbig
              • example
                • DirectFieldAccessorExample.java

    See Also