Programming in Java
Topic: Generics
Contents
Introduction
Benefits of Generics
Generic Classes and Interfaces
Generic Methods
Wildcard Generic Types
Restrictions on Generics
Introduction
Enables to create classes, interfaces, and methods in which
the type of data upon which they operate is specified as a
parameter.
Introduced in Java by jdk 1.5.
Generics means parameterized types.
Generics add the type-safety.
Generics add stability to your code by making more of
your bugs detectable at compile time.
Why Generics?
The functionality of Gen class can be achieved without
generics by specifying Object type and using proper
casting whenever required.
Then why we use Generics?
Java compiler does not have knowledge about the type of
data actually stored in NonGen. So-
Explicit casts must be employed to retrieve the stored data.
Several type mismatch errors cannot be found until run time.
Why Generics?
Stronger type checks at compile time
Elimination of casts
List list = new ArrayList(); list.add("hello");
String s = (String) list.get(0);
Using generics:
List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>(); list.add("hello");
String s = list.get(0); // no cast
Enabling programmers to implement generic algorithms.
We can implement generic algorithms that work on collections of
different types, can be customized, and are type safe and easier to
read.
Advantage of Generics
The ability to create type-safe code in which type-
mismatch errors are caught at compile time is a key
advantage of generics.
Example
class Gen<T> {
T ob;
Gen(T o)
{
ob = o;
}
T getob()
{
return ob;
}
void showType()
{
System.out.println("Type of T is " +ob.getClass().getName());
}
}
class GenDemo {
public static void main(String args[]) {
Gen<Integer> iOb;
iOb = new Gen<Integer>(88);
iOb.showType();
int v = iOb.getob();
System.out.println("value: " + v);
Gen<String> strOb = new Gen<String>("Generics Test");
strOb.showType();
String str = strOb.getob();
System.out.println("value: " + str);
}}
Generics Work Only with Objects
When declaring an instance of a generic type, the type
argument passed to the type parameter must be a class
type.
Gen<int> strOb = new Gen<int>(53);
The above declaration is an error.
A reference of one specific version of a generic type is not
type compatible with another version of the same generic
type.
iOb = strOb; // Wrong!
Generic Class
General Form of Generic Class
The generics syntax for declaring a generic class:
class class-name<type-param-list>
{ // ... }
The syntax for declaring a reference to a generic class:
class-name<type-arg-list> var-name =
new class-name<type-arg-list>(cons-arg-list);
Generic Class with Multiple Type Parameters
class TwoGen<T, V> {
T ob1; V ob2;
TwoGen(T o1, V o2) {
ob1 = o1; ob2 = o2; }
void showTypes() {
System.out.println("Type of T is " +
ob1.getClass().getName());
System.out.println("Type of V is " +
ob2.getClass().getName()); }
T getob1() { return ob1; }
V getob2() { return ob2; }
}
class SimpGen {
public static void main(String args[]) {
TwoGen<Integer, String> t =
new TwoGen<Integer, String>(123, "Testing Two Parameter");
t.showTypes();
int v = t.getob1();
System.out.println("value: " + v);
String str = t.getob2();
System.out.println("value: " + str);
}
}
Problem
Create a generic class that contains a method that returns
the average of an array of numbers of any type, including
integers, floats, and doubles.
Possible Solution
class Stats<T> {
T[] nums;
Stats(T[] o) {
nums = o;
}
double average() {
double sum = 0.0;
for(int i=0; i < nums.length; i++)
sum += nums[i].doubleValue(); // Error!!!
return sum / nums.length;
}
}
Why Error?
The compiler has no way to know that you are intending to
create Stats objects using only numeric types.
When we try to compile Stats, an error is reported that
indicates that the doubleValue( ) method is unknown.
We need some way to tell the compiler that we intend to pass
only numeric types to T.
Bounded Types
Used to limit the types that can be passed to a type parameter.
When specifying a type parameter, we can create an upper
bound that declares the super-class from which all type
arguments must be derived.
<T extends superclass>
A bound can include both a class type and one or more
interfaces.
class Gen<T extends MyClass & MyInterface>
Any type argument passed to T must be a subclass of MyClass and
implement MyInterface.[TestAverageModified.java[Demo Program]]
WILD CARD GenericS
Problem
Create a generic class that contains a method sameAvg( )
that determines if two Stats objects contain arrays that
yield the same average, no matter what type of numeric
data each object holds.
For example, if one object contains the double values 1.0,
2.0, and 3.0, and the other object contains the integer
values 2, 1, and 3, then the averages will be the same.
Possible Solution
Integer inums[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4 }; Double dnums[] = { 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4 };
Stats<Integer> iob = new Stats<Integer>(inums);
Stats<Double> dob = new Stats<Double>(dnums);
if(iob.sameAvg(dob))
System.out.println("Averages are the same.");
else
System.out.println("Averages differ.");
boolean same_Avg(Stats<T> ob)
{
if(average() == ob.average())
return true;
return false;
}
Why Error?
It will work only with the objects of same type.
if the invoking object is of type Stats<Integer>, then the
parameter ob must also be of type Stats<Integer>.
WildCard Argument
The wildcard simply matches the validity of object.
The wildcard argument is specified by the ?, and it represents an unknown
type.
boolean same_Avg(Stats<?> ob)
{
if(average() == ob.average())
return true;
return false;
}
Important: It is important to understand that the wildcard does not affect what
type of Stats objects can be created. This is governed by the extends clause
in the Stats declaration. The wildcard simply matches any valid Stats object.
Generic Method
Generic Method
It is possible to declare a generic method that uses one or more
type parameters.
Methods inside a generic class are automatically generic
relative to the type parameters.
It is possible to create a generic method that is enclosed within
a non-generic class.
Generic Methods
The type parameters are declared before the return type of
the method.
Generic methods can be either static or non-static.
<type-param-list> ret-type method-name(param-list) {…}
Example:
static <T, V extends T> boolean isIn (T x, V[] y)
This ability to enforce type safety is one of the most
important advantages of generic methods.
Generic Interfaces
Generic Interfaces
Generic interfaces are specified just like generic classes.
Example:
interface MinMax<T extends Comparable<T>>
{ T min(); T max(); }
The implementing class must specify the same bound.
Once the bound has been established, it need not to be
specified again in the implements clause.
class MyClass<T extends Comparable<T>> implements MinMax <T extends
Comparable<T>> { //Wrong
In general, if a class implements a generic interface, then that class must also be
generic, at least to the extent that it takes a type parameter that is passed to the
interface. For example, the following attempt to declare MyClass is in error:
class MyClass implements MinMax<T> { // Wrong!
Because MyClass does not declare a type parameter, there is no way to pass one
to MinMax. In this case, the identifier T is simply unknown, and the compiler
reports an error. Of course, if a class implements a specific type of generic interface,
such as shown here:
class MyClass implements MinMax<Integer> { // OK
Generic Interface
interface MinMax<T extends Comparable<T>>
{
T min();
T max();
}
class My<T extends Comparable<T>> implements MinMax<T>
{
…
}
Generic Constructors
