Why is it not an error to call a non-parameterized method with type arguments?
generics, java
Solution
The explicit type parameter is simply ignored.
This is stated in JLS, Section 15.12.2.1:
- If the method invocation includes explicit type arguments, and the member is a generic method, then the number of type arguments is equal to the number of type parameters of the method.
This clause implies that a non-generic method may be potentially applicable to an invocation that supplies explicit type arguments. Indeed, it may turn out to be applicable. In such a case, the type arguments will simply be ignored.
Problem
I have the following Java program that I was expecting to not compile, but it did: ``` class Test { public static void f() { } void m() { Test.<String>f(); } } ``` Why does javac allow calling a non-parameterized method in this way? My Java compiler version is: javac 1.7.0_75