使用泛型和参数化列表的问题

Question

I created the following Test class:

public class GenericTest {

    public static class A implements Serializable {

    }

    public static class B implements Serializable {

    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Error: Type mismatch: cannot convert from List<capture#1-of ? extends Serializable> to List<GenericTest.A>
        //List<A> aList = getInfo().get("A");
        //List<B> BList = getInfo().get("B");

        // Warning: Type safety: Unchecked cast from List<capture#1-of ? extends Serializable> to List<GenericTest.A>
        List<A> aList = (List<A>)getInfo().get("A");
        List<B> BList = (List<B>)getInfo().get("B");
    }

    public static Map<String, List<? extends Serializable>> getInfo() {
        Map<String, List<? extends Serializable>> infoMap = new HashMap<String, List<? extends Serializable>>();

        List<A> aList = new ArrayList<A>();
        List<B> bList = new ArrayList<B>();

        try {
            aList.add(new A());
            infoMap.put("A", aList);

            bList.add(new B());
            infoMap.put("B", bList);
        }
        catch(Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        return infoMap;
    }    
}

Is there a better way to go about this to avoid casting and suppressing the unchecked warning? I have been told using casting almost defeats the purpose of using Generics in the first place. Is there a problem with this, or a "safer" way to go about doing it?

Answer 1

you can try doing this. You still need to suppress warnings in the getList method, but if you only add lists using the addToMap method ,the compiler can correctly check if the added list is the same type of class that was used in the first parameter. Also google for super type tokens.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    List<A> aList = new ArrayList<A>();
    aList.add(new A());
    List<B> bList = new ArrayList<B>();
    bList.add(new B());
    addToMap(A.class,aList);
    addToMap(B.class,bList);        

    List<A> aListFromMap = getList(A.class);
    List<B> bListFromMap = getList(B.class);
}



private static Map<Class<?>,Object> infoMap = new HashMap<Class<?>,Object>();



public static <T extends Serializable> void addToMap(Class<T> key, List<T> value) {
    infoMap.put(key,value);
}


public static <T extends Serializable> List<T> getList(Class<T> key) {
    return (List<T>)(infoMap.get(key));
} 

Answer 2

No, there is no way to help this situation. You have a single map with two kinds of values (this is called a heterogeneous map) and the type system cannot express that. You must downcast without type safety. Either that, or completely redesign to keep these two kinds of objects in two separate structures.