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 # Class PHXSimpleType

 Last update: 22.06.2026 

**Package:** com.phoenix\_int.aserver.types

```
↳ java.lang.Object
  ↳ com.phoenix_int.aserver.types.PHXSimpleType

```

**All Implemented Interfaces:**

- [IPHXType](IPHXType.md), [IPHXType2](IPHXType2.md), [IPHXUnits](IPHXUnits.md)

**Direct Known Subclasses:**

- [PHXBoolean](PHXBoolean.md), [PHXDouble](PHXDouble.md), [PHXFile](PHXFile.md), [PHXGeometry](PHXGeometry.md), [PHXInteger](PHXInteger.md), [PHXLong](PHXLong.md), [PHXRawFile](PHXRawFile.md), [PHXScriptObject](PHXScriptObject.md), [PHXSimpleArray](PHXSimpleArray.md), [PHXString](PHXString.md)

---

```java
public abstract class PHXSimpleType
extends java.lang.Object
implements IPHXType2, IPHXUnits

```

A base class for most data types. The class defines the following properties:

- description: String
- units: String
- hasChanged: boolean

This class will fire a property change event when `hasChanged(true)` is called. The property event will always have the property name be "value" and the old and new values of null. Use `toString` or `getValue` functions to get the actual new value from the variable.

## Nested Class Summary

### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from interface com.phoenix\_int.aserver.types.[IPHXType2](IPHXType2.md)

`IPHXType2.IVisitor<T>`

## Constructor Summary

Constructor and Description`PHXSimpleType()`## Method Summary

Modifier and TypeMethod and Description`protected void``_copyMetadataFromOther(PHXSimpleTypeother)`  
Copy common metadata on PHXSimpleType from another object to this one.`void``addPropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener l)``abstractPHXSimpleType``createCopy()`  
Create a copy of this instance, including the value and metadata.`abstract boolean``equalsNatural(PHXSimpleTypetoCompare)`  
Compare this PHXSimpleType to another PHXSimpleType.`abstract void``fromObject(java.lang.Object toRead)`  
Load the value of this object from the specified object.`java.lang.String``getDescription()``static java.lang.String[]``getEnumTokens(java.lang.String enums)``boolean``getHasChanged()`  
retrieves the `hasChanged` flag`java.lang.String``getUnits()`  
Get the units string for the variable`void``removePropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener l)``void``setDescription(java.lang.String d)``void``setHasChanged(boolean v)`  
sets the `hasChanged` flag`void``setUnits(java.lang.String u)`  
Set the units string for the variable### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

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

### Methods inherited from interface com.phoenix\_int.aserver.types.[IPHXType2](IPHXType2.md)

`Accept`, `fromString2`, `toString2`

### Methods inherited from interface com.phoenix\_int.aserver.types.[IPHXType](IPHXType.md)

`fromString,toString`

## Constructor Detail

### PHXSimpleType

```java
public PHXSimpleType()

```

## Method Detail

### setUnits

```java
public void setUnits(java.lang.String u)

```

Set the units string for the variable

**Specified by:**

- `setUnits` in interface [`IPHXUnits`](IPHXUnits.md)

**Parameters:**

- `u` - units for the variable

### getUnits

```java
public java.lang.String getUnits()

```

Get the units string for the variable

**Specified by:**

- `getUnits` in interface [`IPHXUnits`](IPHXUnits.md)

**Returns:**

- units string

### setDescription

```java
public void setDescription(java.lang.String d)

```

### getDescription

```java
public java.lang.String getDescription()

```

### setHasChanged

```java
public void setHasChanged(boolean v)

```

sets the `hasChanged` flag

**Parameters:**

- `v` - the new value for the flag

### getHasChanged

```java
public boolean getHasChanged()

```

retrieves the `hasChanged` flag

**Returns:**

- `true` if the variable has changed since the last time the `hasChanged` flag was set to `false`

### addPropertyChangeListener

```java
public void addPropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener l)

```

### removePropertyChangeListener

```java
public void removePropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener l)

```

### getEnumTokens

```java
public static java.lang.String[] getEnumTokens(java.lang.String enums)

```

### equalsNatural

```java
public abstract boolean equalsNatural(PHXSimpleType toCompare)
                               throws PHXTypeMismatchException

```

Compare this PHXSimpleType to another PHXSimpleType. This type of comparison is different than `Comparable` in that it does a natural comparison between numbers. It is not designed, nor suited, for use in things such as sets, and may behave oddly if put in those circumstances.

**Parameters:**

- `toCompare` -

**Returns:**

- a negative number if this object is less than `toCompare`, a positive number if this object is greater than `toCompare`, and zero if these two objects are equal.

**Throws:**

- `PHXTypeMismatchException` - if the given PHXSimpleType cannot be compared with this object.

### fromObject

```java
public abstract void fromObject(java.lang.Object toRead)
                         throws PHXInvalidTypeException

```

Load the value of this object from the specified object. This will read the object and attempt to convert it if it is a known type. If the type isn't recognized, it will throw a [`PHXInvalidTypeException`](PHXInvalidTypeException.md). If there is an error in conversion, it will also throw a [`PHXInvalidTypeException`](PHXInvalidTypeException.md)

NOTE: while it might be logical to think you can create a `PHX(Type)Array` from, say, an array of `java.lang.(Type)`, that is not currently supported. You MUST use the PHX string array formatting style.

**Parameters:**

- `toRead` - to object from which to load this objects value.

**Throws:**

- [`PHXInvalidTypeException`](PHXInvalidTypeException.md) if the specified object is of an invalid type or there is an error in conversion.

### \_copyMetadataFromOther

```java
protected final void _copyMetadataFromOther(PHXSimpleType other)

```

Copy common metadata on PHXSimpleType from another object to this one. Designed to assist in implementing `createCopy()`.

**Parameters:**

- `other` - the other object from which metadata will be copied

### createCopy

```java
public abstract PHXSimpleType createCopy()

```

Create a copy of this instance, including the value and metadata.

**Returns:**

- a newly constructed copy of this instance.