How does type erasure behave in multithreaded code?

Type erasure in Java is a mechanism by which generic type information is removed at runtime. This behavior can affect multithreaded code, as it can lead to potential class cast exceptions or other issues if not handled properly. In a multithreaded environment, multiple threads may be accessing generic collections or objects simultaneously, and due to type erasure, the compiler might not catch type mismatches during compilation.

For example, if a thread attempts to add an object of an incorrect type to a generic collection that was previously defined with a specific type, it could result in a runtime error. Developers need to be cautious and ensure that proper synchronization and type-checking strategies are in place when working with generics in a multithreaded context.


        // Example of Type Erasure Issue in Multithreading
        public class GenericList {
            private List list = new ArrayList<>();

            public synchronized void add(T item) {
                list.add(item);
            }

            public synchronized T get(int index) {
                return list.get(index);
            }
        }

        public class Main {
            public static void main(String[] args) {
                GenericList stringList = new GenericList<>();

                // Thread A
                new Thread(() -> {
                    stringList.add("Hello");
                }).start();

                // Thread B
                new Thread(() -> {
                    // This could cause issues if not synchronized properly
                    stringList.add((String) (Object) 123); // Unsafe casting! 
                }).start();
            }
        }

How does type erasure behave in multithreaded code?

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How does type erasure behave in multithreaded code?

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