How do I handle type erasure in my code?

How do I handle type erasure in my code?

Type erasure is a concept where type information is not available at runtime. In languages like Java, generics are implemented using type erasure. You can handle it by using wildcards or by creating a wrapper class that retains type information.

Can you give me an example of using wildcards?

Sure! In Java, you can use <?> to represent an unknown type. For instance, List<?> can hold a list of any type, allowing you to write methods that can accept lists of different types.

What about creating a wrapper class?

A wrapper class can hold the type information. For example, you can create a generic class like Wrapper<T> that stores an object of type T. This way, you can retain the type information and avoid issues with type erasure.

Are there any drawbacks to using these methods?

Yes, using wildcards can limit the operations you can perform on the list, and wrapper classes can introduce additional complexity and overhead.