What is generics overview in Java?

Generics in Java enhance the language by allowing the definition of classes, interfaces, and methods with type parameters. This feature enables developers to create reusable code components that can operate on different data types while ensuring type safety at compile time. By using generics, developers can avoid the need for type casting and reduce the risk of runtime ClassCastException.

Generics promote code reusability and allow for the creation of data structures like lists and maps that can handle data of various types in a type-safe manner. For instance, a generic class can define a structure that allows for the storage of any object type, while still enforcing strong typing rules.

// Example of Generics in Java import java.util.ArrayList; public class GenericExample { private ArrayList list = new ArrayList<>(); public void add(T element) { list.add(element); } public T get(int index) { return list.get(index); } public static void main(String[] args) { GenericExample stringList = new GenericExample<>(); stringList.add("Hello"); System.out.println(stringList.get(0)); // Outputs: Hello GenericExample integerList = new GenericExample<>(); integerList.add(123); System.out.println(integerList.get(0)); // Outputs: 123 } }

generics Java generics type parameters type safety reusable code collections