Htykuut

I'm trying to resolve this apparently simple generic casting problem :

First, declaring this simple generic object :

public interface GenericObject<T> {}

Second, declaring this working interface :

public interface Generic { // I don't want to do Generic<T>



    <T> void setGenericObject(GenericObject<T> obj);



}

Then, let's implements this interface :

public class GenericImpl implements Generic {



    private GenericObject<String> genericObject; // This is needed



    @Override

    public <String> void setGenericObject(GenericObject<String> obj) {

        genericObject = obj; // eclipse give me this error :

                             // Type mismatch: cannot convert from 

                             // interfaces.GenericObject<String> to

                             // interfaces.GenericObject<java.lang.String>

    }



}

How can I solve this error ?

Edit :

Actualy, the only way I have to solve this issue is to do this :

public class GenericImpl implements Generic {



    private GenericObject<String> genericObject; 



    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // I don't realy like this

    @Override

    public <T> void setGenericObject(GenericObject<T> obj) {

        genericObject = (GenericObject<String>) obj;

    }



}

The real problem is that

public <String> void setGenericObject(GenericObject<String> obj)

where the String has nothing to do with the your intended java.lang.String. Here the String is just a type parameter whose name is String by accident.

Please refer to Is it possible to have an interface method defined with a generic return type and a concrete implementation define the return type?.

Case 1:

If T is not used in Generic, then just use a wildcard.

class Generic {

    List<?> list;

    void set(List<?> list) {

        this.list = list;

    }

    int size() {

        return list.size(); // doesn't care about T

    }

}

Case 2:

If T is only used as local variables, then declare <T> on the method

class Generic {

    <T> void swapFirstAndSecond(List<T> list) {

        T first = list.get(0), second = list.get(1);

        list.set(1, first);

        list.set(0, second);

    }

}

Case 3:

If several fields and methods use the same type T, but the exact type of T is not important, then delacre <T> on the class

class Generic<T> {

    List<T> list;

    void set(List<T> list) {

        this.list = list;

    }

    T getFirst() {

        return list.get(0);

    }

}

Case 4:

If T must be a specific type, like String, then don't declare type parameter <T>

class Generic {

    List<String> list;

    void set(List<String> list) {

        this.list = list;

    }

    boolean isFirstContainsSecond() {

        String first = list.get(0), second = list.get(1);

        // call String.contains here, so T must be String

        return first.contains(second);

    }

}