Generic Types
and the
Java Collections
Framework
Lecture 15
CS2110 – Fall 2011
Generic Types
When using a collection (e.g., Generics provide a way to
LinkedList, HashSet, communicate T, the type of
HashMap), we generally have a elements in a collection, to the
single type T of elements that we compiler
store in it (e.g., Integer, String) Compiler can check that you have
Before Java 5, when extracting an used the collection consistently
element, had to cast it to T before Result: safer and more-efficient code
we could invoke T's methods
Compiler could not check that the
cast was correct at compile-time,
since it didn't know what T was
Inconvenient and unsafe, could
fail at runtime
2
Example
//removes all 4-letter words from c
//elements must be Strings
static void purge(Collection c) {
old
Iterator i = c.iterator();
while (i.hasNext()) {
if (((String)i.next()).length() == 4)
i.remove();
}}
//removes all 4-letter words from c
static void purge(Collection<String> c) {
new
Iterator<String> i = c.iterator();
while (i.hasNext()) {
if (i.next().length() == 4)
i.remove();
}}
3
Another Example
Map grades = new HashMap();
grades.put("John", new Integer(67));
old
grades.put("Jane", new Integer(88));
grades.put("Fred", new Integer(72));
Integer x = (Integer)grades.get("John");
sum = sum + x.intValue();
Map<String, Integer> grades = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
grades.put("John", new Integer(67));
new
grades.put("Jane", new Integer(88));
grades.put("Fred", new Integer(72));
Integer x = grades.get("John");
sum = sum + x.intValue();
4
Type Casting
The Java compiler determines that the cast is not
necessary, based on the declared type
In this example, grades.get("John") is known at
compile time always to be an Integer!
Map<String, Integer> grades = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
grades.put("John", new Integer(67));
grades.put("Jane", new Integer(88));
grades.put("Fred", new Integer(72));
Integer x = grades.get("John");
sum = sum + x.intValue();
5
Autoboxing
Java 5 also introduced autoboxing and auto-unboxing
of primitive types, so the example can be further
simplified
Map<String,Integer> grades = new HashMap<String,Integer>();
grades.put("John",new Integer(67));
grades.put("Jane",new Integer(88));
grades.put("Fred",new Integer(72));
Integer x = grades.get("John");
sum = sum + x.intValue();
Map<String,Integer> grades = new HashMap<String,Integer>();
grades.put("John", 67);
grades.put("Jane", 88);
grades.put("Fred", 72);
sum = sum + grades.get("John");
6
Using Generic Types
<T> is read, “of T”
For example: Stack<Integer> is read, “Stack of Integer”
The type annotation <T> informs the compiler that all
extractions from this collection are of type T
Specify type in declaration, can be checked at
compile time
Can eliminate explicit casts
No need for the runtime check
7
Advantage of Generics
Declaring Collection<String> c tells us
something about the variable c (i.e., c holds only
Strings)
This is true wherever c is used
The compiler checks this and won’t compile code that
violates this
Without use of generic types, explicit casting would be
necessary
A cast tells us something the programmer thinks is true at a
single point in the code
The Java virtual machine checks whether the programmer is
right only at runtime
8
Subtypes
Stack<Integer> is not a subtype of Stack<Object>
Stack<Integer> s = new Stack<Integer>();
s.push(new Integer(7));
Stack<Object> t = s; // gives compiler error
t.push("bad idea");
System.out.println(s.pop().intValue());
However, Stack<Integer> is a subtype of Stack (for
backward compatibility with previous Java versions)
Stack<Integer> s = new Stack<Integer>();
s.push(new Integer(7));
Stack t = s; // compiler allows this
t.push("bad idea"); // produces a warning
System.out.println(s.pop().intValue()); //runtime error!
9
Programming with Generic Types
public interface List<E> { // E is a type variable
void add(E x);
Iterator<E> iterator();
}
public interface Iterator<E> {
E next();
boolean hasNext();
void remove();
}
To use the interface List<E>, supply an actual type
argument, e.g., List<Integer>
All occurrences of the formal type parameter (E in this
case) are replaced by the actual type argument
(Integer in this case)
10
Wildcards
void printCollection(Collection c) {
Iterator i = c.iterator();
old
while (i.hasNext()) {
System.out.println(i.next());
}}
void printCollection(Collection<Object> c) {
bad
for (Object e : c) {
System.out.println(e);
}}
good
void printCollection(Collection<?> c) {
for (Object e : c) {
System.out.println(e);
}}
11
Bounded Wildcards
static void sort (List<? extends Comparable> c) {
...
}
Note that if we declared the parameter c to be of type
List<Comparable> then we could not sort an object of type
List<String> (even though String is a subtype of
Comparable)
Suppose Java treated List<String> and
List<Integer> as a subtype of List<Comparable>
Then, for instance, a method passed an object of type
List<Comparable> would be able to store Integers in
our List<String>
Wildcards let us specify exactly what types are allowed
12
Generic Methods
Adding all elements of an array to a Collection
static void a2c(Object[] a, Collection<?> c) {
bad
for (Object o : a) {
c.add(o); // compile time error
}}
static <T> void a2c(T[] a, Collection<T> c) {
good
for (T o : a) {
c.add(o); // ok
}}
See the online Java tutorial for more info on generics
http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/generics/!
13
Generic Classes
public class Queue<T> extends AbstractBag<T> {
private java.util.LinkedList<T> queue
= new java.util.LinkedList<T>();
public void insert(T item) {
queue.add(item);
}
public T extract() throws java.util.NoSuchElementException {
return queue.remove();
}
public void clear() {
queue.clear();
}
public int size() {
return queue.size();
}
}
14
Generic Classes
public class InsertionSort<T extends Comparable<T>> {
public void sort(T[] x) {
for (int i = 1; i < x.length; i++) {
// invariant is: x[0],...,x[i-1] are sorted
// now find rightful position for x[i]
T tmp = x[i];
int j;
for (j = i; j > 0 && x[j-1].compareTo(tmp) > 0; j--)
x[j] = x[j-1];
x[j] = tmp;
}
}
}
15
Java Collections Framework
Collections: holders that Goal: conciseness
let you store and A few concepts that are broadly
useful
organize objects in
Not an exhaustive set of useful
useful ways for efficient concepts
access
The collections
Since Java 1.2, the framework provides
package java.util Interfaces (i.e., ADTs)
includes interfaces and Implementations
classes for a general
collection framework
16
JCF Interfaces and Classes
Interfaces Classes
Collection HashSet
Set (no duplicates) TreeSet
SortedSet ArrayList
List (duplicates OK) LinkedList
Map (i.e., Dictionary) HashMap
SortedMap TreeMap
Iterator
Iterable
ListIterator
17
java.util.Collection<E>
(an interface)
public int size();
Return number of elements in collection
public boolean isEmpty();
Return true iff collection holds no elements
public boolean add(E x);
Make sure the collection includes x; returns true if collection has changed
(some collections allow duplicates, some don’t)
public boolean contains(Object x);
Returns true iff collection contains x (uses equals( ) method)
public boolean remove(Object x);
Removes a single instance of x from the collection; returns true if collection
has changed
public Iterator<E> iterator();
Returns an Iterator that steps through elements of collection
18
java.util.Iterator<E> (an interface)
public boolean hasNext();
Returns true if the iteration has more elements
public E next();
Returns the next element in the iteration
Throws NoSuchElementException if no next element
public void remove();
The element most recently returned by next() is removed from
the underlying collection
Throws IllegalStateException if next() not yet called or if
remove() already called since last next()
Throws UnsupportedOperationException if remove() not
supported
19
Additional Methods of Collection<E>
public Object[] toArray()
Returns a new array containing all the elements of this collection
public <T> T[] toArray(T[] dest)
Returns an array containing all the elements of this collection; uses
dest as that array if it can
Bulk Operations:
public boolean containsAll(Collection<?> c);
public boolean addAll(Collection<? extends E> c);
public boolean removeAll(Collection<?> c);
public boolean retainAll(Collection<?> c);
public void clear();
20
java.util.Set<E> (an interface)
Set extends Write a method that
Collection checks if a given word is
Set inherits all its methods within a Set of words
from Collection
Write a method that
removes all words longer
A Set contains no
than 5 letters from a Set
duplicates
If you attempt to add() an
Write methods for the
element twice then the union and intersection of
second add() will return two Sets
false (i.e., the Set has not
changed)
21
Set Implementations
java.util.HashSet<E> (a hashtable)
Constructors
public HashSet();
public HashSet(Collection<? extends E> c);
public HashSet(int initialCapacity);
public HashSet(int initialCapacity, float loadFactor);
java.util.TreeSet<E>
(a balanced BST [red-black tree])
Constructors
public TreeSet();
public TreeSet(Collection<? extends E> c);
...
22
java.util.SortedSet<E> (an interface)
SortedSet extends Set
For a SortedSet, the iterator() returns the
elements in sorted order
Methods (in addition to those inherited from Set):
public E first();
Returns the first (lowest) object in this set
public E last();
Returns the last (highest) object in this set
public Comparator<? super E> comparator();
Returns the Comparator being used by this sorted set if there
is one; returns null if the natural order is being used
…
23
java.lang.Comparable<T> (an interface)
public int compareTo(T x);
Returns a value (< 0), (= 0), or (> 0)
(< 0) implies this is before x
(= 0) implies this.equals(x) is true
(> 0) implies this is after x
Many classes implement Comparable
String, Double, Integer, Char, java.util.Date,…
If a class implements Comparable then that is considered
to be the class’s natural ordering
24
java.util.Comparator<T> (an interface)
public int compare(T x1, T x2);
Returns a value (< 0), (= 0), or (> 0)
(< 0) implies x1 is before x2
(= 0) implies x1.equals(x2) is true
(> 0) implies x1 is after x2
Can often use a Comparator when a class’s natural
order is not the one you want
String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER is a predefined
Comparator
java.util.Collections.reverseOrder() returns a
Comparator that reverses the natural order
25
SortedSet Implementations
java.util.TreeSet<E>
constructors:
public TreeSet();
public TreeSet(Collection<? extends E> c);
public TreeSet(Comparator<? super E> comparator);
...
Write a method that prints out a SortedSet of words
in order
Write a method that prints out a Set of words in order
26
java.util.List<E> (an interface)
List extends Collection
Items in a list can be accessed via their index (position in list)
The add() method always puts an item at the end of the list
The iterator() returns the elements in list-order
Methods (in addition to those inherited from Collection):
public E get(int index);
Returns the item at position index in the list
public E set(int index, E x);
Places x at position index, replacing previous item; returns the previous item
public void add(int index, E x);
Places x at position index, shifting items to make room
public E remove(int index);
Remove item at position index, shifting items to fill the space;
Returns the removed item
public int indexOf(Object x);
Return the index of the first item in the list that equals x (x.equals())
…
27
List Implementations
java.util.ArrayList<E> (an array; uses array-
doubling)
Constructors
public ArrayList();
public ArrayList(int initialCapacity);
public ArrayList(Collection<? extends E> c);
java.util.LinkedList<E> (a doubly-linked list)
Constructors
public LinkedList();
public LinkedList(Collection<? extends E> c);
Both include some additional useful methods specific
to that class
28
Efficiency Depends on Implementation
Object x = list.get(k);
O(1) time for ArrayList
O(k) time for LinkedList
list.remove(0);
O(n) time for ArrayList
O(1) time for LinkedList
if (set.contains(x)) ...
O(1) expected time for HashSet
O(log n) for TreeSet
29
