org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect

## Class InheritanceUtils

- java.lang.Object
- - org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.InheritanceUtils

-     public class InheritanceUtils
      extends Object

  Utility methods focusing on inheritance.

  Since:
    3.2

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `InheritanceUtils()` `InheritanceUtils` instances should NOT be constructed in standard programming.

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `static int` | `distance(Class<?> child, Class<?> parent)` Returns the number of inheritance hops between two classes.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### InheritanceUtils

          public InheritanceUtils()

      `InheritanceUtils` instances should NOT be constructed in standard programming. Instead, the class should be used as `MethodUtils.getAccessibleMethod(method)`.

      This constructor is `public` to permit tools that require a JavaBean instance to operate.

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### distance

          public static int distance(Class<?> child,
                     Class<?> parent)

      Returns the number of inheritance hops between two classes.

      Parameters:
        `child` - the child class, may be `null`
        `parent` - the parent class, may be `null`
      Returns:
        the number of generations between the child and parent; 0 if the same class; -1 if the classes are not related as child and parent (includes where either class is null)
      Since:
        3.2

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