How to change a block into a (material) Sign?

I need to use the attachedToBlock function of the sign material class, but I need to inherit this class from a Block. How can I do this?

in this format:

Code:

org.bukkit.material.Sign s = (org.bukkit.material.Sign) <?>;

Note: this is not!

Do I have to use the getState function or some sort of conversion from the getType?
(This is probably a simple question to those that make plugins for longer, but the documentation for this is missing, so yeah...)

 

Isn't there a getMaterial() in Block?

 

getType() returns a Material yes, but wasn't this an enumeration?

To get an idea of what I try to accomplish; here is a snippet:

Code:

        public Vector[] blockLocations;
        public void setLocations(Block sign, Block button, Block chest) {
            setBlock(0, sign);
            setBlock(1, button);
            setBlock(2, chest);
            //set block holding sign here
            //set block holding button here
        }
        public void setBlock(int index, Block b) {
            this.blockLocations[index] = new Vector(b.getX(), b.getY(), b.getZ());
        }

EDIT

I think I found the solution:

Code:

        public Vector[] blockLocations;
        public void setLocations(Block sign, Block button, Block chest) {
            setBlock(0, sign);
            setBlock(1, button);
            setBlock(2, chest);
            //set block holding sign here
            org.bukkit.material.Sign s = (org.bukkit.material.Sign) sign.getState().getData();
            setBlock(3, sign.getFace(s.getAttachedFace()));
            //set block holding button here
            Button b = (Button) sign.getState().getData();
            setBlock(4, sign.getFace(b.getAttachedFace()));
        }
        public void setBlock(int index, Block b) {
            this.blockLocations[index] = new Vector(b.getX(), b.getY(), b.getZ());
        }

Some of material.Sign's functions came from the superclass MaterialData, which could be retrieved using getData() of BlockState returned by Block.getState(). Yes, it is confusing.

Only have to test this out of course.

 

I wouldnt use getData(), did you try

Code:

import org.bukkit.material.Sign;

Block signBlock = (your sign block);
Sign sign = (Sign) signBlock.getState();

Edit: You're right, above is wrong. The sign that works there is org.bukkit.block.sign.

 

Thats the mean part, there are two types of "Sign" classes:
One under block inheriting "BlockState"
One under material inheriting "MaterialData"

Simple check: look for the functions of the material.Sign and block.Sign classes. You'll see that they have different types of classes (grey) next to some functions.

As far I believe MaterialData does not inherit from BlockState, thus there is no possible way to cast from BlockState to a Sign that inherits from MaterialData.

Source1
Source2
Source3

 

Wow youre right, this is more complicated that I originally thought. Ill look into the bukkit source too then.

Edit: Alright, what you wrote earlier (getData()) should work, good to know.

 

Also, I made it even better.
This function works for every single block; it gets the block the input block is attached to!
If it is not attachable, it will simply return the block underneath. (since that is always the case then)

Code:

    public static Block getAttachedBlock(Block b) {
        MaterialData m = b.getState().getData();
        BlockFace face = BlockFace.DOWN;
        if (m instanceof Attachable) {
            face = ((Attachable) m).getAttachedFace();
        }
        return b.getFace(face);
    }

Not sure about paintings though, but ow well.