Java Collection Framework

[a]

For Collection interface, the declaration of toArray() is:
<T> T[] toArray(T[] a);
Why do we have <T> at the start of the method declaration?
Thanks a lot

 

[Roedy Green]

For Collection interface, the declaration of toArray() is:
<T> T[] toArray(T[] a);
Why do we have <T> at the start of the method declaration?
Thanks a lot

see http://mindprod.com/jgloss/generics.html

 

[Thomas Weidenfeller]

For Collection interface, the declaration of toArray() is:
<T> T[] toArray(T[] a);
Why do we have <T> at the start of the method declaration?

Because the "genius" that came up with the idea for Java generic decided
that this should be the syntax when you have a parametric (generic)
method and need to provide a type parameter.

And you need to have th <T>, otherwise the compiler would not know that
the two T[] in the method signature refer to a type parameter, instead
of just a 'class T".

/Thomas