# ElementListUnion
Date: 2013-02-18

## org.simpleframework.xml
Annotation Type ElementListUnion

    @Retention(value=RUNTIME)
    public @interface ElementListUnion

The `ElementListUnion` annotation is used to describe fields and methods that can dynamically match a schema class. Each union can have a number of different XML class schemas matched based on an XML element name or the instance type. Here a collection of element list annotations can be declared. Each annotation expresses the types the list can accept. Taking the declaration below, if the annotation is inline, the list can take a number of varying types all determined from the XML element name.

        @ElementListUnion({
           @ElementList(entry="x", inline=true, type=X.class),
           @ElementList(entry="y", inline=true, type=Y.class),
           @ElementList(entry="z", inline=true, type=Z.class)
        })
        private List<Code> codes;

For the above definition the list field can take any of the declared types. On deserialization the name of the element will determine the type that is instantiated and inserted in to the list. When the list is serialized the list entry instance type will determine the name of the element the instance will serialized as. This provides a useful means of consume more complicated sources.

Author:
  Niall Gallagher
See Also:
  `ElementList`

Required Element Summary
`ElementList[]` `value` This provides the `ElementList` annotations that have been defined for this union.

Element Detail

### value

    public abstract ElementList[] value

  This provides the `ElementList` annotations that have been defined for this union. Each element list describes the XML class schema to use and the name of the XML element. This allows the serialization process to determine which elements map to the defined types. Also, the types define how the XML is generated for a given instance.

  Returns:
    the element lists defined for the union declaration