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Lect 11

The document discusses generic data structures in Java. It describes how to create a generic linked list class that can hold objects of any type rather than being limited to integers. The generic list class eliminates the need for type casts when retrieving elements compared to a non-generic version.

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Arnold
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7 views22 pages

Lect 11

The document discusses generic data structures in Java. It describes how to create a generic linked list class that can hold objects of any type rather than being limited to integers. The generic list class eliminates the need for type casts when retrieving elements compared to a non-generic version.

Uploaded by

Arnold
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Thought for the Day

It is not the mountain we conquer,


but ourselves.
– Sir Edmund Hillary
Two Classes for Lists of Integers
• IntegerVector
– based on an array
– efficient access
– may run out of memory, or waste memory
• IntegerList
– based on a linked list of nodes
– efficient, flexible memory use
– may have inefficient access
• Can be used interchangeably by clients
– identical methods
Generic Data Structures
• We have now seen two list classes
– Both for lists of integers

• What about lists of other types?


– We could reimplement either of the integer list
classes

OR: Use polymorphism or generics in Java:


Generic Data Structures
Generic Data Structures
Using Polymorphism
• Consider either of the integer list classes
– We will use the linked-list implementation
• Very few places where it is important that
we are dealing with integers only:
– data member in the ListNode class
– parameters for add, position and set
– return type for get

Replace these with Object


The ObjectList Class
• Convert the IntegerList class to a
generic ADT using polymorphism

• Class Diagram

ObjectList
first, numElements
add, get, set, position,
remove, length, toString
Inner Class and Data Members
public class ObjectList
{ private class ListNode
{ public Object data;
public ListNode next;
} // class ListNode

private ListNode first; // Pointer to the


// first ListNode
private int numElements; // Number of
// elements
. . .
} // class ObjectList
The add Method

public void add (Object item, int position)


// Place the new item in an ObjectList
{ ...
} // add
The get and set Methods
public Object get (int index)
// Access an ObjectList
{ ...
} // get

public void set (int index, Object item)


// Access an ObjectList
{ ...
} // set
The position Method
public int position (Object item)
// Find item in an ObjectList
{ ListNode curr = first; Cannot use !=
int k;
for (k = 0;
curr != null && !curr.data.equals(item);
k++, curr = curr.next)
; // Search for item in ObjectList
if (curr == null) // item was not found
return -1;
else
return k;
} // position
The toString Method
public String toString ()
{ StringBuffer s = new StringBuffer("[");
for (ListNode curr = first;
curr != null;
curr = curr.next)
{ s.append(curr.data.toString());
if (curr.next != null)
s.append(", ");
}
s.append("]");
return s.toString();
} // toString
Using the ObjectList Class
• A list of integers!
ObjectList iList = new ObjectList();
iList.add(3);
iList.add(-7);
iList.add(56);
Using the ObjectList Class
public class Student
{ . . .
} // class Student
...
ObjectList classList = new ObjectList();
classList.add(new Student());
Need to Take Care When Using
get
Student st;
st = classList.get(5);
// Retrieve sixth student
Won’t work!

get returns an Object: must use a type cast

Student st;
st = (Student)classList.get(5);
// Retrieve sixth student
Mixed Lists
ObjectList mixed = new ObjectList();
mixed.add(3); // Integer
mixed.add(new Student());
mixed.add(new Date());
mixed.add(new Random());
mixed.add(”Hello”); // String
Need to take even more care with get!
Student st;
Object obj = mixed.get(k); // Get k’th object
if (obj instanceof Student) // Check type
st = (Student)obj; // Type cast will work
else
...
4.4.2. Java Generics
• Allow us to simplify the type-casts, etc.
required when using polymorphism

• Provide extra safety


– Extensive compile-time checking

• Effectively, introduce a “type parameter”


– “List of objects of type T”
Syntax
public class MyClass<T>
{ . . .
} // class MyClass

• Inside MyClass we can use T as a type


name
– variables
– parameters
– return types
– etc.
The GenericList Class
• Start with ObjectList
– Introduce type parameter
– Replace Object with type parameter

public class GenericList<T>


{ private class ListNode
{ public T data;
public ListNode next;
} // inner class ListNode
. . .
} // class GenericList
The add Method

public void add (T item, int position)


// Place the new item in a GenericList
{ ...
} // add
The get and set Methods
public T get (int index)
// Access an element in a GenericList
{ ...
} // get

public void set (int index, T item)


// Access an element in a GenericList
{ ...
} // set
The position Method

public int position (T item)


// Find item in a GenericList
{ . . .
} // position
Using Generic Classes
• Must specify the actual type to be used
GenericList<Student> classList =
new GenericList<Student>();
. . .
• Compiler checks that only Student
objects are placed in classList
• Compiler can also infer type on the right
GenericList<Student> classList =
new GenericList<>();

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