public class DataParam
{
    public String name
    public boolean wasUpdated
    private String type
    private boolean isArray
    private Object data;

    public <T> DataParam(String name, Class<T> typeClass)
    {
        this.name = name;
        type = typeClass.getName();
        isArray = typeClass.isArray();
        data = null;
        wasUpdate = false;
    }
    public <T> T get(Class<T> typeClass)
    {
        if(type.equals(typeClass.getName()) && isArray == typeClass.isArray())
            return typeClass.cast(data);
        else
            return null;
    }
    public <T> T set(T obj, Class<T> typeClass)
    {
        if(type.equals(typeClass.getName()) && isArray == typeClass.isArray())
            data = (Object) obj;
    }
    public String doSomething()
    {
        //An example of doing different things based on type
        switch(type)
        {
        case "java.lang.String":
            if(isArray)
                return TakesAStringArray(get(String[].class));
            else
                return TakesAString(get(String.class));
        break;
        case "java.lang.Integer":
            return TakesAnInteger(get(Integer.class));
        break;
        case "myPackage.DataParam":
            return TakesADataParam(get(myPackage.DataParam.class));
        break;
        //default: Do nothing
    }
}
public DataObj
{
    protected HashMap<String,DataParam> fields;
    //Other functions
}
public SpecificObj extends DataObj
{
    public SpecificObj()
    {
        fields.add(new DataParam("name", String.class));
        fields.add(new DataParam("obj", myPackage.DataParam.class));
        fields.add(new DataParam("count", Integer.class));
    }
}

public class DataParam {
    public String name;
    public Class<?> dataClass;
    public boolean wasUpdated;
    private Object data;

    public DataParam(String name, Class<?> typeClass) {
        this.name = name;
        dataClass = typeClass;
        data = null;
        wasUpdated = false;
    }

    public <T> T get(Class<T> typeClass) {
        if(dataClass.equals(typeClass)) {
            return typeClass.cast(data);
        }
        return null;
    }

    public <T> T set(T obj, Class<T> typeClass) {
        if(dataClass.equals(typeClass)) {
            T toreturn = typeClass.cast(data);
            data = obj;
            return toreturn;
        }
        return null;
    }

    public String doSomething() {
        //An example of doing different things based on type
        //.......
        return null;
    }
}

String host = dataObj.get("host").get(String.class);

String host = dataObj.getString("host");

public String getString(String name) {
    return get(name, String.class);
}

public <T> T get(String name, Class<T> type) {
    return getParam(name).get(type);
}