Why not create an Object[] and cast to a generic type? What's the solution?
generics, java
Solution
In the question's example the `b` variable is not a `String[]` even though we casted it to `E[]` and defined that `E` is `String` while constructing the instance. It's an `Object[]`. That happens because Java doesn't know what type `E` is at runtime because, in this example, we didn't define a parent class for `E`. So, it will automatically have `Object` as its parent.
In other terms, `public class ArrTest<E>` is identical to `public class ArrTest<E extends Object>`.
Java doesn't know what `E` is at the runtime because it's `unchecked`. `Unchecked` means Java will not check if the `E` type is an extension or implementation of the defined parent class. So, the only thing Java knows about `E` at runtime is that `<E extends Object>`.
Therefore
`E[] b = (E[]) new Object[1];`
will execute as
`Object[] b = (Object[]) new Object[1];`
That's why the example will not throw a `ClassCastException` and will confuse the developer.
If we try to use `b` as a real `String[]` then Java will throw a `ClassCastException` since Java sees it as an `Object[]`. For example, if we change the method to:
public E[] test(E a){
E[] b = (E[])new Object[1];
b[0] = a;
System.out.println(b[0]);
return b;
}
public static void main(String[] args){
ArrTest<String> t = new ArrTest<String>();
String[] result = t.test("Hello World");
}
Now we will receive a `ClassCastException` in `String[] result` because the returned type will be `Object[]` and we are trying to store it in a `String[]` variable. Java will see the type difference and throw the exception.
That's why casting `Object[]` to a generic array is discouraged, it only leads to confusion.
Before writing this answer, I created a test case with some possible ways to create a generic array and I concluded that this is the best method:
public class ExampleType<A extends Number>{
public <T extends A> T[] bestMethod(T[] array)
{
if(array.length < testSize)
array = (T[]) Array.newInstance(array.getClass().getComponentType(), testSize); //Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object to T[]
System.out.println("in this case: "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName());
return array;
}
}
It's guaranteed to return an array of the same type as the array passed as an argument and it must be an instance of `A` defined in the `ExampleType<A extends Number>`. If you create an `ExampleType` of `Integer` you will need to use an `Integer[]` as the argument. If you don't want an array of `Integer` specifically but you want to store any type of number you could use a `Number[]` as the argument.
If you don't need generic types in the class you could simplify it to:
public <T> T[] bestMethod(T[] array)
Of if you want it to return subclasses of `Number` only:
public <T extends Number> T[] bestMethod(T[] array)
Here is my test case if you want to test it yourself:
public class Test {
public static class ArrTest<E>
{
public void test(E a){
E[] b = (E[])new Object[1];
b[0] = a;
System.out.println(b[0]);
}
public E[] test2(E a){
E[] b = (E[])new Object[1];
b[0] = a;
System.out.println(b[0]+" "+b.getClass().getComponentType());
return b;
}
public static void main(String[] args){
ArrTest<String> t = new ArrTest<String>();
t.test("Hello World");
try{String[] result = t.test2("Hello World");}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrTest.main(args);
System.out.println("#############\nWe want an array that stores only integers, sampledata: 1, samplearray: Integer");
test(new ExampleType<Integer>(Integer.class), 1, new Integer[0], new Integer[10]);
System.out.println("#############\nWe want an array that stores any type of Number, sampledata: 2L, samplearray: Number");
test(new ExampleType<Number>(Number.class), 2L, new Number[0], new Number[10]);
System.out.println("#############\nWe want an array that stores any type of CustomNumberA, sampledata: CustomB(3L), samplearray: CustomNumberA");
test(new ExampleType<CustomNumberA>(CustomNumberA.class), new CustomNumberB(3L), new CustomNumberA[0], new CustomNumberA[10]);
System.out.println("#############\nWe want A to be any type of number but we want to create an array of CustomNumberA, sampledata: CustomB(3L), samplearray: CustomNumberA");
test(new ExampleType<Number>(Number.class), new CustomNumberB(3L), new CustomNumberA[0], new CustomNumberA[10]);
}
public static <A extends Number> void test(ExampleType<A> testType, A sampleData, A[] smallSampleArray, A[] bigSampleArray)
{
Class<A> clazz = testType.clazz;
System.out.println("#############\nStarting tests with ExampleType<"+clazz.getSimpleName()+">");
System.out.println("============\nCreating with badMethod()...");
A[] array;
try
{
array = testType.badMethod();
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
System.out.println("============\nCreating with alsoBadMethod("+sampleData+" ["+sampleData.getClass().getSimpleName()+"])...");
try
{
array = testType.alsoBadMethod(sampleData);
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
System.out.println("============\nCreating with nearlyGoodMethod("+smallSampleArray.getClass().getSimpleName()+" len: "+smallSampleArray.length+")...");
try
{
array = testType.nearlyGoodMethod(smallSampleArray);
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
System.out.println("============\nCreating with nearlyGoodMethod("+bigSampleArray.getClass().getSimpleName()+" len: "+bigSampleArray.length+")...");
try
{
array = testType.nearlyGoodMethod(bigSampleArray);
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
System.out.println("============\nCreating with bestMethod("+smallSampleArray.getClass().getSimpleName()+" len: "+smallSampleArray.length+")...");
try
{
array = testType.bestMethod(smallSampleArray);
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
System.out.println("============\nCreating with bestMethod("+bigSampleArray.getClass().getSimpleName()+" len: "+bigSampleArray.length+")...");
try
{
array = testType.bestMethod(bigSampleArray);
testType.executeTests(array);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
}
@RequiredArgsConstructor @ToString()
public static class CustomNumberA extends Number{
@Delegate final Long n;
}
public static class CustomNumberB extends CustomNumberA{
public CustomNumberB(Long n) { super(n); }
}
@RequiredArgsConstructor
public static class ExampleType<A>{
private int testSize = 7;
final Class<A> clazz;
public A[] badMethod()
{
System.out.println("This will throw a ClassCastException when trying to return the array because Object is not a type of "+clazz.getSimpleName());
A[] array = (A[]) new Object[testSize]; //Warning: Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object[] to A[]
System.out.println("Array of "+array.getClass().getComponentType()+" created");
return array;
}
public A[] alsoBadMethod(A sampleType)
{
System.out.println("Will not respect A type ("+clazz.getSimpleName()+"), will always use the highest type in sampleType and tell that it's A[] but it's not, in this case will return "+sampleType.getClass().getSimpleName()+"[] and said it was "+clazz.getSimpleName()+"[] while developing");
A[] array = (A[]) Array.newInstance(sampleType.getClass(), testSize); //Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object to A[]
return array;
}
public A[] nearlyGoodMethod(A[] array)
{
System.out.println("The only guarantee is that the returned array will be of something that extends A ("+clazz.getSimpleName()+") so the returned type is not clear, may be of A or of the type passed in the argument but will tell it's A[] but may not be");
if(array.length < testSize)
array = (A[]) Array.newInstance(array.getClass().getComponentType(), testSize); //Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object to A[]
System.out.println("in this case: "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName()+"[], expecting: "+clazz.getSimpleName()+"[]");
return array;
}
public <T extends A> T[] bestMethod(T[] array)
{
System.out.println("It's guaranteed to return on array of the same type as the sample array and it must be an instance of A, so, this is the best method");
if(array.length < testSize)
array = (T[]) Array.newInstance(array.getClass().getComponentType(), testSize); //Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object to T[]
System.out.println("in this case: "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName()+"[], expecting: "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName()+"[]");
return array;
}
public void executeTests(A[] array)
{
tryToSet(array, 0, 1);
tryToSet(array, 1, 2L);
tryToSet(array, 2, 3.1);
tryToSet(array, 3, 4F);
tryToSet(array, 4, (byte)0x5);
tryToSet(array, 5, new CustomNumberA(6L));
tryToSet(array, 6, new CustomNumberB(7L));
}
public void tryToSet(A[] array, int index, Object value)
{
System.out.println("Trying to set "+value+" ("+value.getClass().getSimpleName()+") at "+index+" in a array of "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName());
try
{
if(array instanceof Object[]) ((Object[]) array)[index] = value;
else array[index] = (A) value; //Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object to A
System.out.println("## OK: Success: "+array.getClass().getComponentType().getSimpleName()+"["+index+"] = "+array[index]);
}
catch(Exception e){ System.out.println(">> ERR: "+e); }
}
}
}
And here are the test results... You can see that the `bestMethod` always returns the expected result.
http://pastebin.com/CxBSHaYm
Problem
Some developers create arrays of generic type by creating an `Object[]` and casting to the generic type as in this example code: ``` public class ArrTest<E> { public void test(E a){ E[] b = (E[])new Object[1]; b[0] = a; System.out.println(b[0]); } public static void main(String[] args){ ArrTest<String> t = new ArrTest<String>(); t.test("Hello World"); } } ``` That example will work and just has a warning: `Type safety: Unchecked cast from Object[] to E[]`. Is it discouraged? Is this the best way to create an array of a generic type? Can this cause unexpected results or exceptions if I use this object extensively in my software?