What are the differences between wildcards and generics in programming?

What are the differences between wildcards and generics in programming?

Generics allow you to define classes or methods with a placeholder for the type, while wildcards are used to specify unknown types.

Can you give me an example of how to use wildcards?

Sure! In Java, you can use a wildcard like this: List<?> allows you to accept a list of any type.

When should I use wildcards instead of generics?

Use wildcards when you want to allow flexibility in the types you accept, especially in method parameters.

Are there any performance differences between using wildcards and generics?

No, performance is generally the same since both are resolved at compile time, but wildcards can be less type-safe.