How to Call Generic Method in Java?

In Java, generic methods are methods that can work with multiple types of data. They are an important feature of the language that allows for more flexible and reusable code. In this article, we will discuss how to call generic methods in Java.

To call a generic method in Java, you need to specify the type parameter when you call the method. This is typically done using the angle bracket notation <T>, where T is the type parameter.

Syntax of a Generic Method:

A generic method is defined using the following syntax:

Here, the <T> indicates that the method is generic and the type parameter T can be replaced with any type when the method is called. The void keyword indicates that the method does not return a value.

Calling a Generic Method:

To call a generic method in Java, you need to specify the type parameter when you call the method. The type parameter can be specified using the angle bracket notation <T>. For example:

Test.java

Output:

1 2 3 
foo bar baz

In the above example, we have defined a generic method called printArray that takes an array of any type as a parameter and prints each element of the array to the console. To call the method, we simply pass an array of the desired type as an argument. In this case, we call the method twice: once with an Integer array and once with a String array.

Type Inference:

In some cases, the type parameter can be inferred from the argument passed to the method. For example:

In this example, we have defined a generic method called getLastElement that returns the last element of an array of any type. We can call the method without specifying the type parameter, as it can be inferred from the type of the argument passed to the method.

Example.java

Output:

Integer List: 1 2 3 
String List: foo bar baz

In this example, we have defined a generic method called printList that takes a list of any type as a parameter and prints each element of the list to the console. The main method creates two lists: one of integers and one of strings, and calls the printList method with each list.

Benefits of Generic Methods

One of the benefits of using generic methods is that they allow for more flexible and reusable code. By using type parameters, you can write a single method that can work with multiple types of data. This can save you time and effort by reducing the amount of code you need to write and maintain.

Another benefit of using generic methods is that they can help prevent errors at compile-time. By specifying the type parameter when you call the method, the compiler can perform type checking and ensure that the data you are passing to the method is of the correct type. This can help prevent type-related errors at runtime, such as ClassCastExceptions.

Generic methods are an important feature of Java that allow for more flexible and reusable code. To call a generic method, you need to specify the type parameter when you call the method using the angle bracket notation <T>. In some cases, the type parameter can be inferred from the argument passed to the method.