Re: enum/generics typesafe getter for generic types

From:
Piotr Kobzda <pikob@gazeta.pl>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.programmer
Date:
Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:54:00 +0200
Message-ID:
<eunvfq$gs9$1@inews.gazeta.pl>
Piotr Kobzda wrote:

visionset wrote:

Yes, but how do I now use this class to form a generic getter outside
of Key class?
For this kind of call:

String s = foo.get(Key.A_KEY);

because I'm not instantiating Key, I can't pass in a <Type> so I can't
form a generic method.


You can, declare it e.g. like that:

    public <T> T get(Key<T> key) { ...


Well, honestly, I'm not fully sure /you can/. It depends mostly on what
you are trying to achieve. My understanding of your goal is expressed
in attached example (SSCCE). If that not match your expectations,
explain them deeper.

piotr

--
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

public class MultivalueProperty {

     public static class Key<T> {
         Class<T> type;
         Key(Class<T> type) {
             this.type = type;
         }

         static <T> Key<T> newKey(Class<T> type) {
             return new Key<T>(type);
         }

         public static final Key<String> A_KEY = newKey(String.class);
         public static final Key<String> B_KEY = newKey(String.class);
         public static final Key<Integer> C_KEY = newKey(Integer.class);
         public static final Key<Integer> D_KEY = newKey(Integer.class);

         // possibly better hashCode() is needed here...

     }

     private Map<Key<?>, Object> values = new HashMap<Key<?>, Object>();

     public <T> T get(Key<T> key) {
         return key.type.cast(values.get(key));
     }

     public <T> void put(Key<T> key, T value) {
         values.put(key, value);
     }

     // sample usage...
     public static void main(String[] args) {
         MultivalueProperty foo = new MultivalueProperty();

         foo.put(Key.A_KEY, "A value");
         foo.put(Key.C_KEY, 0);

         String a = foo.get(Key.A_KEY);
         String b = foo.get(Key.B_KEY);
         Integer c = foo.get(Key.C_KEY);
         Integer d = foo.get(Key.D_KEY);

         System.out.println(a);
         System.out.println(b);
         System.out.println(c);
         System.out.println(d);
     }
}

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