private <T, U> Node buildPathToNode(final Class<U> clazz) throws ClassHierarchyException {
    final String[] path = clazz.getName().split("\\$");

    Node root = namespace;
    for (int i = 0; i < path.length - 1; i++) {
      root = root.get(path[i]);
    }

    if (root == null) {
      throw new NullPointerException();
    }
    final Node parent = root;

    final Type argType = ReflectionUtilities.getNamedParameterTargetOrNull(clazz);

    if (argType == null) {
      return JavaNodeFactory.createClassNode(parent, clazz);
    } else {

      // checked inside of NamedParameterNode, using reflection.
      @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
      final NamedParameterNode<T> np =
          JavaNodeFactory.createNamedParameterNode(
              parent, (Class<? extends Name<T>>) clazz, argType);

      if (parameterParser.canParse(ReflectionUtilities.getFullName(argType))
          && clazz.getAnnotation(NamedParameter.class).default_class() != Void.class) {
        throw new ClassHierarchyException(
            "Named parameter "
                + ReflectionUtilities.getFullName(clazz)
                + " defines default implementation for parsable type "
                + ReflectionUtilities.getFullName(argType));
      }

      final String shortName = np.getShortName();
      if (shortName != null) {
        final NamedParameterNode<?> oldNode = shortNames.get(shortName);
        if (oldNode != null) {
          if (oldNode.getFullName().equals(np.getFullName())) {
            throw new IllegalStateException(
                "Tried to double bind " + oldNode.getFullName() + " to short name " + shortName);
          }
          throw new ClassHierarchyException(
              "Named parameters "
                  + oldNode.getFullName()
                  + " and "
                  + np.getFullName()
                  + " have the same short name: "
                  + shortName);
        }
        shortNames.put(shortName, np);
      }
      return np;
    }
  }
  private static ClassHierarchyProto.Node serializeNode(Node n) {
    List<ClassHierarchyProto.Node> children = new ArrayList<>();
    for (Node child : n.getChildren()) {
      children.add(serializeNode(child));
    }
    if (n instanceof ClassNode) {
      ClassNode<?> cn = (ClassNode<?>) n;
      ConstructorDef<?>[] injectable = cn.getInjectableConstructors();
      ConstructorDef<?>[] all = cn.getAllConstructors();
      List<ConstructorDef<?>> others = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(all));
      others.removeAll(Arrays.asList(injectable));

      List<ClassHierarchyProto.ConstructorDef> injectableConstructors = new ArrayList<>();
      for (ConstructorDef<?> inj : injectable) {
        injectableConstructors.add(serializeConstructorDef(inj));
      }
      List<ClassHierarchyProto.ConstructorDef> otherConstructors = new ArrayList<>();
      for (ConstructorDef<?> other : others) {
        otherConstructors.add(serializeConstructorDef(other));
      }
      List<String> implFullNames = new ArrayList<>();
      for (ClassNode<?> impl : cn.getKnownImplementations()) {
        implFullNames.add(impl.getFullName());
      }
      return newClassNode(
          cn.getName(),
          cn.getFullName(),
          cn.isInjectionCandidate(),
          cn.isExternalConstructor(),
          cn.isUnit(),
          injectableConstructors,
          otherConstructors,
          implFullNames,
          children);
    } else if (n instanceof NamedParameterNode) {
      NamedParameterNode<?> np = (NamedParameterNode<?>) n;
      return newNamedParameterNode(
          np.getName(),
          np.getFullName(),
          np.getSimpleArgName(),
          np.getFullArgName(),
          np.isSet(),
          np.isList(),
          np.getDocumentation(),
          np.getShortName(),
          np.getDefaultInstanceAsStrings(),
          children);
    } else if (n instanceof PackageNode) {
      return newPackageNode(n.getName(), n.getFullName(), children);
    } else {
      throw new IllegalStateException("Encountered unknown type of Node: " + n);
    }
  }
  @Override
  public ClassHierarchy merge(ClassHierarchy ch) {
    if (this == ch) {
      return this;
    }
    if (!(ch instanceof ProtocolBufferClassHierarchy)) {
      throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
          "Cannot merge with class hierarchies of type: " + ch.getClass().getName());
    }

    final ProtocolBufferClassHierarchy pch = (ProtocolBufferClassHierarchy) ch;
    for (final String key : pch.lookupTable.keySet()) {
      if (!this.lookupTable.containsKey(key)) {
        this.lookupTable.put(key, pch.lookupTable.get(key));
      }

      for (final Node n : ch.getNamespace().getChildren()) {
        if (!this.namespace.contains(n.getFullName())) {
          if (n instanceof NamedParameter) {
            final NamedParameterNode np = (NamedParameterNode) n;
            new NamedParameterNodeImpl<>(
                this.namespace,
                np.getName(),
                np.getFullName(),
                np.getFullArgName(),
                np.getSimpleArgName(),
                np.isSet(),
                np.isList(),
                np.getDocumentation(),
                np.getShortName(),
                np.getDefaultInstanceAsStrings());
          } else if (n instanceof ClassNode) {
            final ClassNode cn = (ClassNode) n;
            new ClassNodeImpl(
                namespace,
                cn.getName(),
                cn.getFullName(),
                cn.isUnit(),
                cn.isInjectionCandidate(),
                cn.isExternalConstructor(),
                cn.getInjectableConstructors(),
                cn.getAllConstructors(),
                cn.getDefaultImplementation());
          }
        }
      }
    }
    return this;
  }