document and add example using unmarshaler interface

decode.go

@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ import (
 // MarshalFunc is a function used to Unmarshal custom plist types.
 type MarshalFunc func(interface{}) error
 
+// Unmarshaler is the interface implemented by types that can unmarshal
+// themselves from property list objects. The UnmarshalPlist method
+// receives a function that may be called to unmarshal the original
+// property list value into a field or variable.
+//
+// It is safe to call the unmarshal function more than once.
 type Unmarshaler interface {
 	UnmarshalPlist(f func(interface{}) error) error
 }

example_unmarshaler_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package plist_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/groob/plist"
+)
+
+const data = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+	<key>typekey</key>
+	<string>A</string>
+	<key>typeAkey</key>
+	<string>VALUE-A</string>
+</dict>
+</plist>`
+
+type TypeDecider struct {
+	ActualType interface{} `plist:"-"`
+}
+
+type TypeA struct {
+	TypeAKey string `plist:"typeAkey"`
+}
+
+type TypeB struct {
+	TypeBKey string `plist:"typeBkey"`
+}
+
+func (t *TypeDecider) UnmarshalPlist(f func(interface{}) error) error {
+	// stub struct for decoding a single key to tell which
+	// specific type we should umarshal into
+	typeKey := &struct {
+		TypeKey string `plist:"typekey"`
+	}{}
+	if err := f(typeKey); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// switch using the decoded value to determine the correct type
+	switch typeKey.TypeKey {
+	case "A":
+		t.ActualType = new(TypeA)
+	case "B":
+		t.ActualType = new(TypeB)
+	case "":
+		return fmt.Errorf("empty typekey (or wrong input data)")
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown typekey: %s", typeKey.TypeKey)
+	}
+
+	// decode into the actual type
+	return f(t.ActualType)
+}
+
+// Example_unmarshaler demonstrates using structs that use the Unmarshaler interface.
+func Example_unmarshaler() {
+	decider := new(TypeDecider)
+	if err := plist.Unmarshal([]byte(data), decider); err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	typeA, ok := decider.ActualType.(*TypeA)
+	if !ok {
+		fmt.Println("actual type is not TypeA")
+		return
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println(typeA.TypeAKey)
+	// Output: VALUE-A
+}