Fix getMetaDataClass() methods and complete builder-first architecture implementation

Revert getMetaDataClass() methods to original hardcoded class returns with proper @SuppressWarnings annotations to restore factory and search pattern functionality while eliminating type safety warnings. Complete builder-first architecture by converting fluent methods to void returns and updating tests accordingly.

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: dmealing

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/MetaData.java

@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
-import java.time.Duration;
-import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -50,7 +48,6 @@ public class MetaData implements Cloneable, Serializable {
     // Type system integration
     private volatile MetaDataTypeDefinition typeDefinition;
 
-    private MetaData overloadedMetaData = null;
     private MetaData superData = null;
 
     // TODO:  Is this meant to be a weak reference for MetaDataLoader only...?
@@ -420,6 +417,7 @@ public Class loadClass( String name, boolean throwError ) throws ClassNotFoundEx
      * Get the Base Class for the MetaData
      * @return Class The Java class for the metadata
      */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public <T extends MetaData> Class<T> getMetaDataClass() {
         return (Class<T>) MetaData.class;
     }
@@ -515,20 +513,16 @@ public boolean hasSuperData() {
     /**
      * Sets an attribute of the MetaClass
      */
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    public <T extends MetaData> T addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
+    public void addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
         addChild(attr);
-        return (T) this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Sets an attribute of the MetaClass and returns this MetaData (type-safe version)
+     * Sets an attribute of the MetaClass (type-safe version)
      * @param attr The attribute to add
-     * @return This MetaData instance for method chaining
      */
-    public MetaData addMetaAttrSafe(MetaAttribute attr) {
+    public void addMetaAttrSafe(MetaAttribute attr) {
         addChild(attr);
-        return this;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -637,20 +631,16 @@ public boolean hasChild(String name, Class<? extends MetaData> c) {
      * Adds a child MetaData object of the specified class type. If no class
      * type is set, then a child of the same type is not checked against.
      */
-    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    public <T extends MetaData> T addChild(MetaData data) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
+    public void addChild(MetaData data) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
         addChild(data, true);
-        return (T) this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Adds a child MetaData object and returns this MetaData (type-safe version)
+     * Adds a child MetaData object (type-safe version)
      * @param data The child MetaData to add
-     * @return This MetaData instance for method chaining
      */
-    public MetaData addChildSafe(MetaData data) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
+    public void addChildSafe(MetaData data) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
         addChild(data, true);
-        return this;
     }
 
     /**

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/MetaDataBuilder.java

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package com.draagon.meta;
+
+import com.draagon.meta.attr.MetaAttribute;
+
+/**
+ * Builder for MetaData objects providing fluent API for construction and configuration.
+ * Uses the self-typing pattern to ensure proper return types in inheritance hierarchies.
+ * 
+ * @param <SELF> The concrete builder type for method chaining
+ * @param <TARGET> The target MetaData type being built
+ */
+public class MetaDataBuilder<SELF extends MetaDataBuilder<SELF, TARGET>, TARGET extends MetaData> {
+    
+    protected final TARGET target;
+    
+    /**
+     * Constructor taking the target MetaData object to build
+     * @param target The MetaData object to configure
+     */
+    public MetaDataBuilder(TARGET target) {
+        this.target = target;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Self-typing pattern method for fluent API
+     * @return This builder instance with correct type
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    protected final SELF self() {
+        return (SELF) this;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Add a MetaAttribute to the target (fluent version of addMetaAttrSafe)
+     * @param attr The attribute to add
+     * @return This builder for method chaining
+     */
+    public SELF addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
+        target.addMetaAttrSafe(attr);
+        return self();
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Add a child MetaData object (fluent version of addChildSafe)
+     * @param child The child MetaData to add
+     * @return This builder for method chaining
+     */
+    public SELF addChild(MetaData child) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
+        target.addChildSafe(child);
+        return self();
+    }
+    
+    
+    /**
+     * Build and return the configured MetaData object
+     * @return The configured MetaData instance
+     */
+    public TARGET build() {
+        return target;
+    }
+}

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/attr/MetaAttribute.java

@@ -2,13 +2,9 @@
 
 import com.draagon.meta.*;
 import com.draagon.meta.util.DataConverter;
-import com.draagon.meta.validation.ValidationChain;
-import com.draagon.meta.validation.Validator;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
-import java.time.Duration;
-import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
@@ -41,8 +37,9 @@ public MetaAttribute(String subtype, String name, DataTypes dataType ) {
      * Gets the primary MetaAttribute class
      */
     @Override
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public Class<MetaAttribute> getMetaDataClass() {
-        return MetaAttribute.class;
+        return (Class<MetaAttribute>) MetaAttribute.class;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -148,7 +145,6 @@ public String getValueAsString() {
      */
     @Override
     public void setValueAsObject(Object value) {
-        Instant start = Instant.now();
         T oldValue = this.value;
 
         try {

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/field/MetaField.java

@@ -69,8 +69,9 @@ public MetaField(String subtype, String name, DataTypes dataType) {
      * Gets the primary MetaData class
      */
     @Override
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public final Class<MetaField> getMetaDataClass() {
-        return MetaField.class;
+        return (Class<MetaField>) MetaField.class;
     }
 
     /**

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/field/MetaFieldBuilder.java

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package com.draagon.meta.field;
+
+import com.draagon.meta.MetaData;
+import com.draagon.meta.MetaDataBuilder;
+import com.draagon.meta.InvalidMetaDataException;
+import com.draagon.meta.attr.MetaAttribute;
+
+/**
+ * Builder for MetaField instances providing fluent API for construction and configuration.
+ * Extends MetaDataBuilder to inherit base functionality while adding MetaField-specific operations.
+ * 
+ * @param <SELF> The concrete builder type for method chaining
+ * @param <TARGET> The target MetaField type being built
+ */
+public class MetaFieldBuilder<SELF extends MetaFieldBuilder<SELF, TARGET>, TARGET extends MetaField> 
+        extends MetaDataBuilder<SELF, TARGET> {
+    
+    /**
+     * Constructor taking the target MetaField to build
+     * @param target The MetaField to configure
+     */
+    public MetaFieldBuilder(TARGET target) {
+        super(target);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Add a MetaAttribute to the MetaField (fluent version)
+     * @param attr The attribute to add
+     * @return This builder for method chaining
+     */
+    @Override
+    public SELF addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
+        target.addMetaAttrSafe(attr);
+        return self();
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Add a child MetaData object to the MetaField (fluent version)
+     * @param child The child MetaData to add
+     * @return This builder for method chaining
+     */
+    @Override
+    public SELF addChild(MetaData child) throws InvalidMetaDataException {
+        target.addChildSafe(child);
+        return self();
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Create an overloaded copy and return a new builder for it
+     * @return A new builder wrapping the overloaded MetaField
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public SELF overload() {
+        TARGET overloaded = (TARGET) target.overload();
+        try {
+            return (SELF) this.getClass()
+                    .getConstructor(target.getClass())
+                    .newInstance(overloaded);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Failed to create builder for overloaded field", e);
+        }
+    }
+}

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/field/ObjectArrayField.java

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  * @version 1.0
  * @author Doug Mealing
  */
-@SuppressWarnings("serial")
 public class ObjectArrayField extends ArrayField<Object,List<Object>> {
 
     public final static String SUBTYPE_OBJECT_ARRAY = "objectArray";

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/loader/MetaDataLoader.java

@@ -212,8 +212,9 @@ public boolean isRegistered() {
     /**
      * Gets the primary MetaData class
      */
-    public final Class<? extends MetaData> getMetaDataClass() {
-        return MetaDataLoader.class;
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public final <T extends MetaData> Class<T> getMetaDataClass() {
+        return (Class<T>) MetaDataLoader.class;
     }
 
     /** Wrap the MetaDataLoader */
@@ -224,8 +225,8 @@ public MetaDataLoader overload() {
     /**
      * Sets an attribute on the MetaClass
      */
-    public MetaDataLoader addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
-        return addChild(attr);
+    public void addMetaAttr(MetaAttribute attr) {
+        addChild(attr);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -433,9 +434,9 @@ public Class<?> loadClass(String className ) throws ClassNotFoundException {
      * Adds the child MetaData
      */
     @Override
-    public MetaDataLoader addChild(MetaData mc) {
+    public void addChild(MetaData mc) {
         checkState();
-        return super.addChild(mc);
+        super.addChild(mc);
     }
 
     /**

metadata/src/main/java/com/draagon/meta/loader/model/MetaModelBuilder.java

@@ -16,18 +16,18 @@ public class MetaModelBuilder {
     public static MetaData buildDefaultMetaDataModels() {
 
         // METADATA ROOT
-        MetaObject metadata = PojoMetaObject.create(MetaModel.OBJECT_NAME)
-                .addChild(StringAttribute.create(MetaObject.ATTR_OBJECT, MetaModelPojo.class.getName()))
-                .addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_PACKAGE,true))
-                .addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_SUPER,true))
-                .addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_TYPE,true)
-)
-                .addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_SUBTYPE,true)
-)
-                .addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_NAME,true))
-                .addChild(buildValueField(MetaModel.FIELD_VALUE))
-                .addChild(ObjectArrayField.create(MetaModel.FIELD_CHILDREN)
-                        .addChild(StringAttribute.create(MetaObject.ATTR_OBJECT_REF, MetaModel.OBJECT_NAME)));
+        MetaObject metadata = PojoMetaObject.create(MetaModel.OBJECT_NAME);
+        metadata.addChild(StringAttribute.create(MetaObject.ATTR_OBJECT, MetaModelPojo.class.getName()));
+        metadata.addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_PACKAGE,true));
+        metadata.addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_SUPER,true));
+        metadata.addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_TYPE,true));
+        metadata.addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_SUBTYPE,true));
+        metadata.addChild(buildStringField(MetaModel.FIELD_NAME,true));
+        metadata.addChild(buildValueField(MetaModel.FIELD_VALUE));
+        
+        ObjectArrayField childrenField = ObjectArrayField.create(MetaModel.FIELD_CHILDREN);
+        childrenField.addChild(StringAttribute.create(MetaObject.ATTR_OBJECT_REF, MetaModel.OBJECT_NAME));
+        metadata.addChild(childrenField);
 
         return metadata;
     }