Generics in Java Marc Framvig-Antonsen & Jens Svensson

Introduced in JDK1.5 Classes, Class methods and Interfaces can be generic Generic types are erased by type erasure in the compiled program At runtime there exist only one implementation of the generic code(class,method,interface) Multiple generic parameters Wildcard generics arguments. Bounding generic parameter both upper and lower Default upper bound is Object. Type correctness is checked at compile time, using the upper bound of the generic parameters

Generic class
public class Holder<T> { private T value; public Holder(T a_value){ value=a_value; } public T getValue(){ return value; } }

Usage
Holder<String> h=new Holder<String>("String"); Holder<Integer> hi=new Holder<Integer>(45); System.out.println(h.getValue()); System.out.println(hi.getValue()); System.out.println(h.getClass()); System.out.println(hi.getClass());

Output
String 45 class Holder class Holder

Generic parameters come after the name of the class The class of the variables h and hi are Holder. Generic Classes don't infer types from constructor arguments. Have to specify the type two places The code of the class must valid for the bound of the generic parameter

Generic class multiple generic parameters

public class _2Parameters<T,P>{ T value1; P value2; public _2Parameters(T a_value,P a_value2){ value1=a_value; value2=a_value2; } public T first(){ return value1; } public P second(){ return value2; } }

Usage
_2Parameters<String,Integer> _2par=new _2Parameters<String,Integer>("test",45); System.out.println(_2par.first()); System.out.println(_2par.second());

Output
test 45

The Generic Parameter list is comma separated.

Generic classes may not be direct or indirect subclass of Throwable

class Throwable_1<T> extends Throwable{ }

Usage
Throwable_1<Integer> Test=m.new Throwable_1<Integer>();

Output
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem: The generic class Main.Throwable_1<T> may not subclass java.lang.Throwable at Main$Throwable_1.<init>(Main.java:78) at Main.main(Main.java:93)

The catch mechanism only works with non generic types

Generic method
public class Normal{ public <T> void printValue(Holder<T> a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()); } }

Usage
Normal n=new Normal(); n.printValue(hi); n.printValue(h);

Output
In Normal Class:45 In Normal Class:String

Generic Paremeters comes after scope but before return value of the method Generic Methods do infer the generic types from passed values.

Generic method
public class Normal{ public <T> void printValue(T a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()); } }

Usage
Normal n=new Normal(); n.printValue(hi); n.printValue(h);

Output
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem: The method getValue() is undefined for the type T at Normal.printValue(Normal.java:6) at Main.main(Main.java:91)

The Generic Parameter T is unbounded so it defaults to Object. Object don't have a getValue function It does not matter that we only send objects of Holder to it

Effects of Type Erasure

Generic method Overloading

public class Normal{ public void printHolder(Holder<String> a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()+" Its a string"); } public void printHolder(Holder<Integer> a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()*10); } }

Output
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problems: Duplicate method printHolder(Holder<String>) in type Normal Duplicate method printHolder(Holder<Integer>) in type Normal

The Generic arguments <String> and <Integer> are both removed in the compiled code so the 2 functions are identical.

Generic method Overloading on return type

public class Normal{ public void printHolder(Holder<String> a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()+" Its a string"); } public int printHolder(Holder<Integer> a_value){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()*10); return 0; } }

Usage
Normal n=new Normal(); n.printHolder(hi); n.printHolder(h);

Output
In Normal Class:450 In Normal Class:String Its a string

The correct method gets called. Has to return a value

Generic method Overloading on dummy parameter

public class Normal{ public void printHolder(Holder<String> a_value,String dummy){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()+" Its a string"); } public void printHolder(Holder<Integer> a_value,Integer dummy){ System.out.println("In Normal Class:"+a_value.getValue()*10); } }

Usage
Normal n=new Normal(); n.printHolder(hi,new Integer(42)); n.printHolder(h,new String(""));

Output
In Normal Class:450 In Normal Class:String Its a string

The correct method gets called. Has to send in a dummy value

Only one generic class

public class Specialisation<T>{} public class Specialisation<T,P>{}

The type erasure erases the type parameters, and there can't be 2 implementations of the same type.

Shared static members

public class StatTest<T> { private static int id=0; public StatTest(){ id++; } public int getId(){ return id; } }

Usage
StatTest<Integer> s1=new StatTest<Integer>(); StatTest<String> s2=new StatTest<String>(); System.out.println(s1.getId()); System.out.println(s2.getId());

Output
2 2

The field id are static and are therefore shared by all instances of StatTest. The Generics are type erased so eventhough the generic arguments are different the end type is the same StatTest

Bounding

Example Class Hirachy.

Only _2D and its childs

private <T extends _2D> void TestExtends(T value){ System.out.println(value.getClass()); }

Usage
Geometry geo=new Geometry(); _2D _2d=new _2D(); Square square=new Square(); TestExtends(_2d); TestExtends(square); //TestExtends(geo);Geometry is not a subclass of _2D

Output
class _2D class Square

T extends ClassType, allows all classes that are subclasses and the class itself.

Only childs of Geometry that implements _2DOR_3D interface

private <T extends Geometry & _2DOR_3D> void Test2D_OR_3D(T value){ System.out.println(value.getClass()); }

Usage
Test2D_OR_3D(cube); Test2D_OR_3D(square);

Output
class Cube class Square

T extends ClassType & InterfaceType, allows all subclasses of ClassType and the ClassType itself that are Subclass or the class it self that of a class that implements InterfaceType. More interfaces can be specified seperated by &

Only childs of classes that implements _2DOR_3D and DimensionSquare interfaces

private <T extends _2DOR_3D&DimensionSquare> void TestCube(T value){ System.out.println(value.getClass()); }

Usage
TestCube(cube); TestCube(square);

Output
class Cube class Square

T extends InterfaceType & InterfaceType2, T is a class subclass of a class that implements InterfaceType1 and InterfaceType2

Generic arguments

Generic Arguments Specification

TypeArguments: < ActualTypeArgumentList > ActualTypeArgumentList: ActualTypeArgument ActualTypeArgumentList , ActualTypeArgument ActualTypeArgument: ReferenceType Wildcard Wildcard: ? WildcardBoundsOpt

WildcardBounds: extends ReferenceType super ReferenceType

Distinct Type Argument

public void DistinctGenericArgument(Holder<Geometry> value){ System.out.println(value.getValue().getClass()); }

Usage
DistinctGenericArgument(new Holder<Geometry>(geo));

Output
class Geometry

The type of the given variable must be the exact same as the argument type.

Childed wild card

public void WildChild(Holder<? extends Geometry> value){ System.out.println(value.getValue().getClass()); }

Usage
WildChild(new Holder<Geometry>(geo)); WildChild(new Holder<Cube>(cube)); WildChild(new Holder<Square>(square));

Output
class Geometry class Cube class Square

The generic type of the given variable must be a child of the generic argument type or it.

Parent wild card

public void WildParent(Holder<? super Square> value){ System.out.println(value.getValue().getClass()); }

Usage
WildParent(new WildParent(new WildParent(new WildParent(new Holder<Geometry>(geo)); Holder<Object>(new Object())); Holder<_2D>(_2d)); Holder<Square>(square));

Output
class class class class Geometry java.lang.Object _2D Square

The generic type of the given variable must be a parent of the generic argument type or it.

Upper bounded parent wild card

public class GeoHolder<T extends Geometry> extends Holder<T>{ public GeoHolder(T value){ super(value); } } public void WildParentUpperBounded(GeoHolder<? super Square> value){ UsageSystem.out.println(value.getValue().getClass()); } WildParentUpperBounded(new GeoHolder<Geometry>(geo)); WildParentUpperBounded(new GeoHolder<_2D>(_2d)); WildParentUpperBounded(new GeoHolder<Square>(square));

Output
class Geometry class _2D class Square

To upper bound a wild card the generic parameter can define the upper bound

Read only Wildcards

public class Write<T>{ private T name; public Write(T value){ name=value; } public void setName(T a_name){ name=a_name; } public T getName(){ return name; } } public void WriteName(Write<? extends String> value){ value.setName("Test2"); System.out.println(value.getName()); }

Usage
WriteName(new Write<String>("Ha"));

Output
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem: The method setName(capture#8-of ? extends String) in the type Main.Write<capture#8-of ? extends String> is not applicable for the arguments (String) at Main.WriteName(Main.java:35) at Main.main(Main.java:174)

Can't write to values affected by the wildcard.

Generic arguments may not be primitive types

public class Holder<T> { }

Usage
Holder<int> h_int=new Holder<int>(45);

Output
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problems: Syntax error on token "int", Dimensions expected after this token Syntax error on token "int", Dimensions expected after this token at Main.main(Main.java:90)

Primitive types are boolean, byte, short, int, long, char,float and double Use Boolean,Byte,Short,Integer,Long,Character,Float and Double as generic argument instead.

The Java Language Specification, Third Edition http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/j3TOC.html Generics in the Java Programming Language http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5/pdf/generics-tutorial.pdf