Is adding fields at the end of a java class always safe when using Protostuff default RuntimeSchema?

Question

I use Protostuff RuntimeSchema in the most basic way :

Schema<Bean> schema = RuntimeSchema.createFrom(Bean.class);

I will save the result byte[] somewhere and deserialize it in the future.

But there is a chance that I will add some fields in Bean.class (and also generate a new schema).

I tested some times, it works fine, i can get the new fields as null.

But I want to make sure if it is always safe, assuming that new fields are always added in the end of Bean, and always use HotSpot JDK.

Answer 1

Yes, if you append field to the end of the fields list, it is safe. RuntimeSchema assigns tags to fields according to their order in the class.

However, things might get a little bit tricky if you use inheritance. In this case you should consider using @Tag annotation.