Java MCQ: What does a generic type in Java allow?
Answer:
Explanation:
A generic type in Java allows you to create a class, interface, or method that can work with any data type, specified at the time of use. This capability is central to the concept of Generics in Java and provides significant advantages in terms of code reusability and type safety.
When you define a generic type, you use type parameters, which are placeholders for the actual types that will be used. For example, you can define a generic class like Box<T>
, where T
is a type parameter. This class can then be used with any type, such as Box<Integer>
or Box<String>
. The specific type replaces T
when the class is instantiated, and the Java compiler enforces that only objects of that type are used within the class.
Generic types are not limited to classes; they can also be used in interfaces and methods. For instance, a generic method could be defined as public <T> void printArray(T[] array)
, allowing it to print arrays of any type. The type parameter T
is specified at the method level, making the method flexible and reusable with different data types.
In summary, generic types in Java enable the creation of flexible and reusable code that can operate on various data types while ensuring type safety, making them a powerful tool in the Java programming language.
Reference links:
https://www.rameshfadatare.com/learn-java-programming/
https://www.javaguides.net/p/java-tutorial-learn-java-programming.html