Generics in Java

Generics means parameterized types. The idea is to allow type (Integer, String, … etc., and user-defined types) to be a parameter to methods, classes, and interfaces. Using Generics, it is possible to create classes that work with different data types. An entity such as class, interface, or method that operates on a parameterized type is a generic entity.

Generic Method #

• Generic Java method takes a parameter and returns some value after performing a task.

• It is exactly like a normal function, however, a generic method has type parameters that are cited by actual type.

• This allows the generic method to be used in a more general way.

• The compiler takes care of the type of safety which enables programmers to code easily since they do not have to perform long, individual type castings.

Generic Classes #

• A generic class is implemented exactly like a non-generic class.

• The only difference is that it contains a type parameter section.

• There can be more than one type of parameter, separated by a comma.

• The classes, which accept one or more parameters, ​are known as parameterized classes or parameterized types.

Generic Class #

Like C++, we use <> to specify parameter types in generic class creation. To create objects of a generic class, we use the following syntax.

// To create an instance of generic class 
BaseType <Type> obj = new BaseType <Type>()

Example

// Java program to show working of user defined
// Generic classes

// We use < > to specify Parameter type
class Test<T> {
	// An object of type T is declared
	T obj;
	Test(T obj) { this.obj = obj; } // constructor
	public T getObject() { return this.obj; }
}

// Driver class to test above
class Main {
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		// instance of Integer type
		Test<Integer> iObj = new Test<Integer>(15);
		System.out.println(iObj.getObject());

		// instance of String type
		Test<String> sObj
			= new Test<String>("CodingForAll");
		System.out.println(sObj.getObject());
	}
}

Output

15
CodingForAll

Advantages of Generics #

Programs that use Generics has got many benefits over non-generic code.

Code Reuse #

We can write a method/class/interface once and use it for any type we want.

Type Safety #

Generics make errors to appear compile time than at run time (It’s always better to know problems in your code at compile time rather than making your code fail at run time). Suppose you want to create an ArrayList that store name of students, and if by mistake the programmer adds an integer object instead of a string, the compiler allows it. But, when we retrieve this data from ArrayList, it causes problems at runtime.

// Java program to demonstrate that NOT using
// generics can cause run time exceptions

import java.util.*;

class Test
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		// Creatinga an ArrayList without any type specified
		ArrayList al = new ArrayList();

		al.add("Sachin");
		al.add("Rahul");
		al.add(10); // Compiler allows this

		String s1 = (String)al.get(0);
		String s2 = (String)al.get(1);

		// Causes Runtime Exception
		String s3 = (String)al.get(2);
	}
}

Output

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ClassCastException: 
java.lang.Integer cannot be cast to java.lang.String
at Test.main(Test.java:19)

To solve the above problem - When defining ArrayList, we can specify that this list can take only String objects.

// Using Java Generics converts run time exceptions into
// compile time exception.
import java.util.*;

class Test
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		// Creating a an ArrayList with String specified
		ArrayList <String> al = new ArrayList<String> ();

		al.add("Sachin");
		al.add("Rahul");

		// Now Compiler doesn't allow this
		al.add(10);

		String s1 = (String)al.get(0);
		String s2 = (String)al.get(1);
		String s3 = (String)al.get(2);
	}
}

Output

15: error: no suitable method found for add(int)
al.add(10); 
^

Individual Type Casting is not needed #

If we do not use generics, then, in the above example, every time we retrieve data from ArrayList, we have to typecast it. Typecasting at every retrieval operation is a big headache. If we already know that our list only holds string data, we need not typecast it every time.

Generics Promotes Code Reusability #

With the help of generics in Java, we can write code that will work with different types of data.

Example

public <T> void genericsMethod (T data) {...}

Here, we have created a generics method. This same method can be used to perform operations on integer data, string data, and so on.

Implementing Generic Algorithms #

By using generics, we can implement algorithms that work on different types of objects, and at the same, they are type-safe too.

Generics Work Only with Reference Types #

When we declare an instance of a generic type, the type argument passed to the type parameter must be a reference type. We cannot use primitive data types like int, char.

Test<int> obj = new Test<int>(20); 

The above line results in a compile-time error that can be resolved using type wrappers to encapsulate a primitive type.

But primitive type arrays can be passed to the type parameter because arrays are reference types.

ArrayList<int[]> a = new ArrayList<>();

Type Parameters in Java Generics #

The type parameters naming conventions are important to learn generics thoroughly. The common type parameters are as follows:

• T – Type

• E – Element

• K – Key

• N – Number

• V – Value