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Data Structures

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 Chapter 5

Generic Programming

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Outline

 Generics in Java
 What is Generics?
 Types of Java Generics
 Generic Method
 Generic Class

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 Generics in Java

What is Generics?
 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 a class, interface, or method that operates on a
parameterized type is a generic entity.

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 Generics in Java

Types of Java Generics

 Generic Method:
 Generic Java method takes a parameter and returns some value after
performing a task.
 It is exactly like a normal method, however, a generic method has type
parameters.
 This allows the generic method to be used in a more general way.

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 Generics in Java

Types of Java Generics

 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 that accept one or more parameters are known as parameterized
classes or parameterized types.

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 Generics in Java - Generic Classes
// Java program to show the working of user-defined Generic classes
// Symbols < > are used to specify the Parameter type Generics Work Only with
class Test<T> { Reference Types:
T obj; // An object of type T is declared compile-time error • When an instance of a
generic type is declared,
Test(T obj) { this.obj = obj; } // constructor the type argument passed
to the type parameter
must be a reference
public T getObject() { return this.obj; }
type.
} • Primitive data types
// Main class to test Test Class like int, char can’t be
class Main { used.
public static void main(String[] args) Test<int> obj =
{ new Test<int>(20);
//compile-time
Test<Integer> iObj = new Test<Integer>(15); // instance of Integer type
error
System.out.println(iObj.getObject());

Test<String> sObj = new Test<String>("String Object"); // instance of

Outputs:
String type
System.out.println(sObj.getObject()); 15
}
String
}
Object
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 Generics in Java - Generic Classes
// Java program to show multiple type parameters in Java
Generics
class Test<T, U>
{
T obj1; // An object of type T // Main class to test Test Class
U obj2; // An object of type U class Main
{
// constructor public static void main (String[] args)
Test(T obj1, U obj2) {
{ Test <String, Integer> obj =
this.obj1 = obj1; new Test<String, Integer>(“ABC",
this.obj2 = obj2; 15);
}
obj.print();
// To print objects of T and U }
public void print() }
{ Outputs:
System.out.println(obj1);
System.out.println(obj2); ABC
} 15
}

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 Generics in Java - Generic Methods
Generic Methods:
 Generic methods can be written to be called with different types of arguments based on the
type of arguments passed to the generic method.
// Java program to show the working of user-defined Generic methods
class Test {
// A Generic method example
static <T> void genericDisplay(T element)
{
System.out.println(element);
}
// Main method
public static void main(String[] args)
{
/* Calling generic method with Integer argument*/
genericDisplay(11); Outputs:
11
/* Calling generic method with String
argument*/ genericDisplay(“ABC"); ABC

/* Calling generic method with double 1.0

argument*/ genericDisplay(1.0);
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 Generics in Java
 Generic types differ based on their type arguments:
// Java program to show the working of user-defined Generic
classes
class Test<T> {
T obj; // An object of type T is declared
Test(T obj) { this.obj = obj; } // constructor
public T getObject() { return this.obj; }
}
// Main class to test Test Class
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>("ABC"); Outputs:
System.out.println(sObj.getObject());
iObj = sObj; // This results an error error: incompatible types:
} Test cannot be converted to
}
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