public class TestExtension {
 
	public static String retClassName () {
		return "Class Name: TestClass";
	}
 
}

public class Tester{
 
public static void main (String[] args) {
	try {
		Class loaded = Class.forName ("TestExtension");
 
		System.out.println (
		loaded.getMethod("retClassName").invoke(loaded)
		);
 
	} catch (Exception ex) {
		System.err.println (ex);
	}
 
} // END MAIN
 
}

Class Name: TestClass
Press any key to continue...

public interface CastPlugin {
	public void SetPapa(Object PeutEtrePapa); // Set reference to parenting class
	public String pluginName(); // Return plugin's short name
	public String pluginDescription(); // Return plugin's long description
	public String pluginReturnState(); // Return plugin's current condition
	public JPanel pluginReturnGUI(); // Return GUI for tab use
	public void pluginDie(); // Tell plugin to save data and shut down
}

package plugins;
 
/* NOTE: ALL PLUGINS MUST HAVE A CLASS NAME ENDING WITH "_NWP"
 * AND MUST ALSO BE A PART OF THE "plugins" PACKAGE. */
 
// When I design future plugins and compile, I should just be able
// to distribute the .class files, and the user can place them in
// the "plugins" package directory.. No?? I'll test this theory..
 
import javax.swing.JPanel;
 
/**
 * This is a test plugin to be used with the
 * NetWorker application by Matthew Cudmore.
 * 
 * @author Matthew Cudmore
 *
 */
public class TestPlugin_NWP implements brainFiles.GUIBoss.CastPlugin {
 
	// NOTICE: I implement the Interface that is defined in the file
	// GUIBoss in the package brainFiles. I have to implement the
	// interface so that I can cast this class in the future.
 
	////////// CONSTANTS
	static final String plugin_author = "Matthew Cudmore";
	static final String plugin_version = "1.0 06/19/06";
	static final String plugin_title = "Test Plugin";
	static final String plugin_description = "Description Here";
 
	////////// PRIVATE VARIABLES
	private static String plugin_state = "Ok.";
 
	public static void main () {
	// Dunno why, but can't get this to run under SuSE 10.1
	// No matter how I enter the args to the 'java' command,
	// "Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError"
		System.out.println (plugin_title + " [Version: "
			 + plugin_version + "]" );
		System.out.println ("By: " + plugin_author);
		System.out.println ();
		System.out.println (plugin_description);
		System.out.println ();
		System.out.println ("This Plugin cannot run "
			+ "independently. Exiting..." );
	}
 
	// Plugin Constructor(s)
	//==============================================================
	public TestPlugin_NWP () {
		System.out.println ("Plugin loaded: " + plugin_title);
	}
 
	// Implemented Method Definitions
	//==============================================================
	public void SetPapa (Object PeutEtrePapa) {
		// Use this method to set references...
	}
 
	public String pluginName() {
		// Return plugin's name for tab
		return plugin_title;
	}
 
	public String pluginDescription() {
		// Return plugin's long description
		return plugin_description;
	}
 
	public String pluginReturnState() {
		// Return plugin's functioning condition
		return plugin_state;
	}
 
	public JPanel pluginReturnGUI() {
		// Return GUI for tab use
		JPanel plugin_panel = new JPanel();
		return plugin_panel;
	}
 
	public void pluginDie() {
		// Tell plugin to close sockets, save data, etc
	}
 
	// Private Methods
	//==============================================================
 
	// None: This is a test
 
}

private static boolean PluginsAlreadyLoaded = false;
 
public void LoadPlugins () {
	if (PluginsAlreadyLoaded) return; 
	File pluginDir = new File ("plugins");
	if (pluginDir.exists() && pluginDir.isDirectory()) {
		String[] filelist = pluginDir.list();
		for (int i = 0; i < filelist.length; i++) {
			if (filelist[i].endsWith("_NWP.class")) {
			// Only read the file if it is a plugin class
			// (the whatever$subclass.class files are ignored)
				LoadPlugin (
				  filelist[i].substring ( 0,
				     filelist[i].lastIndexOf (".class")
				  )
				);
			}
		}
		PluginsAlreadyLoaded = true;
	}
}
 
private void LoadPlugin (String pluginName) {
	try {
 
		Class lodc = Class.forName("plugins." + pluginName);
 
		/* Note: Can't yet cast the Class to an Interface,
		 * because Interfaces don't have Constructors */
 
		Class[] theParams = lodc.getConstructors()[0]
			.getParameterTypes();
 
		// Assuming there is a constructor...
		Object lp = lodc.getConstructor(theParams)
			.newInstance(nullParams(theParams));
 
		CastPlugin lplugin = (CastPlugin)lp;
 
		// Load the plugin's GUI into the JTabbedPane 'jbp_jtp'...
		jbp_jtp.add(
			lplugin.pluginName(),
			lplugin.pluginReturnGUI()
		);
 
	} catch (Exception ex) {
		// IGNORE: Bad Plugin??
		NetWorker.LogError(ex); // Log the error elsewhere
	}
}
 
private Object[] nullParams (Class[] ptypes) {
	// return an Object array of null values of ptypes types 
	/* This is for compatability -- incase a plugin constructor
	 *	desires random arguments */
	Object[] obs = new Object[ptypes.length];
	for (int i = 0; i < ptypes.length; i++) obs[i] = null;
	return obs;
}

public static void main () {
// Dunno why, but can't get this to run under SuSE 10.1
// No matter how I enter the args to the 'java' command,
// "Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError"