Generics

1. Introduction
2. Generic classes
3. Bounded types
4. Generic methods & wild card character (?)
5. Communication with non-generic code
6. conclusions

Introduction:
Definition: The main objective of Generics is to provide Type-
Safety and to resolve Type-Casting problems.

Case 1: Type-Safety
 Arrays are always type safe that is we can give the
guarantee for the type of elements present inside array.
 For example if our programming requirement is to hold String
type of objects it is recommended to use String array. In
the case of string array we can add only string type of
objects by mistake if we are trying to add any other type we
will get compile time error.
  That is we can always provide guarantee for the type of elements
present inside array and hence arrays are safe to use with
respect to type that is arrays are type safe.
 But collections are not type safe that is we can't provide any
guarantee for the type of elements present inside collection.
 For example if our programming requirement is to hold only
string type of objects it is never recommended to go for
ArrayList.
 By mistake if we are trying to add any other type we won't get
any compile time error but the program may fail at runtime.

 Hence we can't provide guarantee for the type of elements present

inside collections that is collections are not safe to use with
respect to type.

Case 2: Type-Casting

In the case of array at the time of retrieval it is not required to

perform any type casting.
 But in the case of collection at the time of retrieval compulsory
we should perform type casting otherwise we will get compile time
error.
  That is in collections type casting is bigger headache.
 To overcome the above problems of collections(type-safety, type
casting)sun people introduced generics concept in 1.5v hence the
main objectives of generics are:

1. To provide type safety to the collections.

2. To resolve type casting problems.

 To hold only string type of objects we can create a generic

version of ArrayList as follows.

 For this ArrayList we can add only string type of objects by

mistake if we are trying to add any other type we will get
compile time error that is through generics we are getting type
safety.
 At the time of retrieval it is not required to perform any type
casting we can assign elements directly to string type variables.

 That is through generic syntax we can resolve type casting

problems.

ArrayList al = new ArrayList(); ArrayList<String> al = new

ArrayList<String>();
 Non-generic version of  Generic version of ArrayList
ArrayList object. object.
 It is not type-safe.  It is type-safe.
 Type-casting is required.  Type-casting is not required.
 Conclusion1:

 Polymorphism concept is applicable only for the base type

but not for parameter type[usage of parent reference to
hold child object is called polymorphism].

Concluson2:

Collections concept applicable only for objects , Hence for the

parameter type we can use any class or interface name but not
primitive value(type).Otherwise we will get compile time error.
Generic classes:
 Until 1.4v a non-generic version of ArrayList class is
declared as follows.

classArrayList

add(Object o);

Object get(int index);

 add() method can take object as the argument and hence we

can add any type of object to the ArrayList. Due to this we
are not getting type safety.
 The return type of get() method is object hence at the time
of retrieval compulsory we should perform type casting.
 But in 1.5v a generic version of ArrayList class is
declared as follows.
  Based on our requirement T will be replaced with our
provided type.
 For Example to hold only string type of objects we can
create ArrayList object as follows.

Example:

ArrayList<String> l=new ArrayList<String>();

 For this requirement compiler considered ArrayList class is

Example:

classArrayList<String>

add(String s);

String get(int index);

 add() method can take only string type as argument hence we

can add only string type of objects to the List.
 By mistake if we are trying to add any other type we will
get compile time error.
  Hence through generics we are getting type safety.
 At the time of retrieval it is not required to perform any
type casting we can assign its values directly to string
variables.

 In Generics we are associating a type-parameter to the

class, such type of parameterisedclasses are nothing but
Generic classes.
 Generic class : class with type-parameter

 Based on our requirement we can create our own generic classes

also.

Example:

class Account<T>
{}

Account<Gold> g1=new Account<Gold>();

Account<Silver> g2=new Account<Silver>();
package collectionDemo;

class Gen<T> {

T obj;

Gen(T obj) {
this.obj = obj;
}

public void show() {

System.out.println("The type of object is :"
obj.getClass().getName());
}

public T getObject() {
return obj;

}
}

public class Test {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Gen<Integer> g1 = new Gen<Integer>(10);
g1.show();

System.out.println(g1.getObject());

Gen<String> g2 = new Gen<String>("Akshay");

g2.show();

System.out.println(g2.getObject());

Gen<Double> g3 = new Gen<Double>(10.5);

g3.show();

System.out.println(g3.getObject());
}
}
Output:

The type of object is: java.lang.Integer

10

The type of object is: java.lang. String

Akshay

The type of object is: java.lang. Double

10.5

Bounded types:
 We can bound the type parameter for a particular range by using
extends keyword such types are called bounded types.

Example 1:

class Test<T>

{ }

Test <Integer> t1=new Test<Integer> ();

Test <String> t2=new Test<String> ();

 Here as the type parameter we can pass any type and there are no
restrictions hence it is unbounded type.

Example 2:

class Test<T extends X>

{}

 If x is a class then as the type parameter we can pass either x

or its child classes.
 If x is an interface then as the type parameter we can pass
either x or its implementation classes.
Example 1:

Example 2:

 We can't define bounded types by using implements and super

keyword.

Example:
  But implements keyword purpose we can replace with extends
keyword.
 As the type parameter we can use any valid java identifier but it
convention to use T always.

Example:

 We can pass any no of type parameters need not be one.

Example:

HashMap<Integer,String> h=new HashMap<Integer,String>();

We can define bounded types even in combination also.

Example 1:

class Test <T extends Number&Runnable> {}(valid)

As the type parameter we can pass any type which extends Number class

and implements Runnable interface.

Example 2:

class Test<T extends Number & Runnable & Comparable> {}(valid)

Example 3:

class Test<T extends Number & String> {}(invalid)

We can't extend more than one class at a time.

Example 4:

class Test<T extends Runnable & Comparable> {}(valid)

Example 5:

class Test<T extends Runnable & Number> {}(invalid)

We have to take 1st class followed by interface.

Generic methods and wild-card

character (?):
1. m1(ArrayList<String> l):

 This method is applicable for ArrayList of only String type.

Example:

l.add("A");

l.add(null);

l.add(10);//(invalid)

Within the method we can add only String type of objects and null to
the List.
 2. m1(ArrayList<?> l):
 We can use this method for ArrayList of any type but within the
method we can't add anything to the List except null.

Example:

l.add(null);//(valid)

l.add("A");//(invalid)

l.add(10);//(invalid)

 This method is useful whenever we are performing only read

operation.

3. m1(ArrayList<? Extends x> l):

 If x is a class then this method is applicable for ArrayList of

either x type or its child classes.
 If x is an interface then this method is applicable for ArrayList
of either x type or its implementation classes.
 In this case also within the method we can't add anything to the
List except null.

4. m1(ArrayList<? super x> l):

 If x is a class then this method is applicable for ArrayList of

either x type or its super classes.
 If x is an interface then this method is applicable for ArrayList
of either x type or super classes of implementation class of x.
 But within the method we can add x type objects and null to the
List.
  Which of the following declarations are allowed?

1. ArrayList<String> l1=new ArrayList<String>(); //(valid)

2. ArrayList<?> l2=new ArrayList<String>(); //(valid)

3. ArrayList<?> l3=new ArrayList<Integer>(); //(valid)

4. ArrayList<? extends Number> l4=new ArrayList<Integer>(); //(valid)

5. ArrayList<? extends Number> l5=new ArrayList<String>(); //(invalid)

6. ArrayList<? super String> l6=new ArrayList<Object>(); //(valid)

7. ArrayList<?> l7=new ArrayList<?>(); //(invalid)

8. ArrayList<?> l8=new ArrayList<? Extends Number>(); //(invalid)

Declaring type parameter at class level:

class Test<T>

We can use anywhere this 'T'

Based on our requirements.

}
Declaring type parameter at method level:
 We have to declare just before return type.

class Test

Public <T> void m1(T obj) {

We can use anywhere this 'T'

Based on our requirements.

}
}

Example:

1. Public <T> void m1(T t){}//valid

2. Public <T extends Number> void me2(T t){}//valid

3. Public <T extends Number & Runnable> void m3(T t){}//valid

4. Public <T extends Runnable & Number> void methodOne(T

t){}//invalid [1st should class then interface]

5. Public <T extends Number & Comparable> void m3(T t){}//valid

6. Public <T extends Comparable & Number> void m3(T t){}//invalid

7. Public <T extends Comparable & Runnable> void m3(T t){}//valid

8. Public <T extends Number & Comparable & Runnable> void me4(T t)
{}//valid

9. Public <T extends Number & Thread> void m5 (T t){}//invalid [we

can't extends more than one class]
Communication with non generic code:

 To provide compatibility with old version sun people compramized

the concept of generics in very few area's the following is one
such area.

package collectionDemo;

import java.util.ArrayList;

class Test {

public static void main(String[] args){

ArrayList<String> l=new ArrayList<String>();

l.add("durga");
l.add("ravi");
//l.add(10);//C.E:cannot find symbol,method add(int) m1(l);
// l.add(10.5);//C.E:cannot find symbol,method add(double)
m1(l);
System.out.println(l);//[durga, ravi, 10, 10.5, true]
}

public static void m1(ArrayList l) {

l.add(10);
l.add(10.5);
l.add(true);
}
}

Conclusions:

 Generics concept is applicable only at compile time, at runtime

there is no such type of concept. Hence the following
declarations are equal.
 1. ArrayList l=new ArrayList<String>();
2. ArrayList l=new ArrayList<Integer>();
3. ArrayList l=new ArrayList();
4. ArrayList l=new ArrayList<Double>();
All are equals at run time.

Example 1:

package collectionDemo;

import java.util.ArrayList;

class Test {

public static void main(String[] args){

ArrayList l=new ArrayList<String>();

l.add(10);
l.add(10.5);
l.add(true);
System.out.println(l);// [10, 10.5, true]

}
}

Example 2:
importjava.util.*;

class Test

public void methodOne(ArrayList<String> l){}

public void methodOne(ArrayList<Integer> l){}

Output:

Compile time error.

Test.java:4: name clash:

m1(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String>) and

m1(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.Integer>)

both methods at the time of compile time take as generics object of

ArrayList but at run time both object take as normal object of
ArrayList. So more than one methods can't same signature.

public void m1(ArrayList <String> l){}

 The following 2 declarations are equal.

ArrayList <String> l1=new ArrayList();

ArrayList <String> l2=new ArrayList<String>();

 For these ArrayList objects we can add only String type of

objects.

Example:

l1.add("A");//valid

l1.add(10); //invalid