Java Generics in action
Abstract
Since version 5, Java supports the definition of generic classes and generic interfaces. Even before their final release, the new language constructs were praised by some and criticized by others. In this talk, we start with a short overview of the basic concepts for defining and instantiating generic classes in Java. We then discuss "type erasure" as a technique to ensure backward compatibility. At the same time, we pinpoint potential dangers of that approach. In the second part of the talk the focus is on inheritance. We start this with a short overview of wild cards in specifying generic arguments, and discuss their pros and cons. We then discuss problems that arise in developing hierarchies of generic classes and interfaces. We finish the talk with a look at concepts supporting the definition of generic methods.
