public aspect NonNullEmbedded {

	// define a pointcut for any getter method of a field with @Embedded of type Validity with any name in com.ia.domain package
	pointcut embeddedGetter() : get( @javax.persistence.Embedded * com.company.model..* );
	

	/**
	 * Advice to run before any Embedded getter.
	 * Checks if the field is null.  If it is, then it automatically instantiates the Embedded object.
	 */
	Object around() : embeddedGetter(){
		Object value = proceed();
		
		// check if null.  If so, then instantiate the object and assign it to the model.
		// Otherwise just return the value retrieved.
		if( value == null ){
			String fieldName = thisJoinPoint.getSignature().getName();
			Object obj = thisJoinPoint.getThis();
			
			// check to see if the obj has the field already defined or is null
			try{
				Field field = obj.getClass().getDeclaredField(fieldName);
				Class clazz = field.getType();
				value = clazz.newInstance();
				field.setAccessible(true);
				field.set(obj, value );
			}
			catch( NoSuchFieldException | IllegalAccessException | InstantiationException e){
				e.printStackTrace();
			}
		}
		
		return value;
	}
}