What is the difference between wildcard and generic types in programming?

What is the difference between wildcard and generic types in programming?

Wildcards are a way to specify unknown types in generics, while generics allow you to define a class or method with a placeholder for a type.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! A generic type might look like List<T>, where T can be any type. A wildcard example is List<?>, which means a list of an unknown type.

When should I use wildcards instead of generics?

Use wildcards when you want to allow flexibility in the type, especially in method parameters, while generics are better for defining specific types.

Are there any performance differences between them?

Generally, there are no significant performance differences, but using generics can provide type safety at compile time, reducing runtime errors.