What are best practices for working with raw types?

When working with raw types in Java, it's important to follow best practices to ensure type safety and code maintainability. Raw types refer to the use of generic class or interface types without any parameters. Although they can be useful in certain scenarios, relying on them can lead to type-related issues. Here are some best practices:

  • Avoid Raw Types: Always prefer using parameterized types to leverage generic capabilities.
  • Use @SuppressWarnings: If you must use a raw type, suppress warnings judiciously to avoid cluttering your code.
  • Type Safety: Ensure any code interacting with raw types is safely casting to the required generic type.
  • Documentation: Clearly document any uses of raw types to inform future maintainers of potential risks.
  • Legacy Code: If working with legacy code, consider gradually refactoring to generics.

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