Java: static nested classes and reflection: "$" vs "." -

if have class com.example.test.enum2.test in code below, why getcanonicalname() return com.example.test.enum2.test class.forname() requires "com.example.test.enum2$test" argument?

is there way consistent, can serialize/deserialize enum value name, without having check each $ vs . possibility, when enum nested class?

package com.example.test;  import java.util.arrays;  public class enum2 {      enum test {         foo, bar, baz;     }      public static void main(string[] args) {         (string classname : arrays.aslist(                 "com.example.test.enum2.test",                 "com.example.test.enum2$test"))         {             try {                 class<?> cl = class.forname(classname);                 system.out.println(classname+" found: "+cl.getcanonicalname());             }             catch (classnotfoundexception e) {                 e.printstacktrace();             }         }          system.out.println(test.foo.getdeclaringclass().getcanonicalname());     } } 

---

clarification: i'm looking way deal problem in real application (not above contrived test case), either:

a. serialize/deserialize using getcanonicalname()'s output (dotted name only), , class.forname() try each possibility in turn e.g. first "com.example.test.enum2.test", "com.example.test.enum2$test", "com.example.test$enum2$test", etc.

b. use proper $ notation, class.forname() works right first time. requires me implement alternative getcanonicalname() produces string consistent class.forname().

i leaning toward approach (b), partially gut feel, , partially because approach (a) has ambiguities if there package names capital letters: com.example.test.enum2 , com.example.test$enum2 can both valid inputs class.forname() if there com/example/test/enum2.java, , com/example/test.java containing enum2 inner class.

...but don't know how implement it. ideas?

argh: should have been using class.getname() instead of class.getcanonicalname().