instantiating java array using generics

Question

I am creating a list data structure and am having trouble with the generics syntax for actually using it. All I am trying to do is create an instance of ArrayLinearList<String> and of size 2 and put some strings in it. I have been trying to figure out why setting the first slot to "one" is not correct. This is the error and my code snippet.

 myList[0] = "one";

The error message is: error: incompatible types: String cannot be converted to ArrayLinearList<String>

public class ArrayLinearList<E> implements LinearListADT<E> {
 private Object[] array;
int currentSize = 0;
//Constructor (no arguments)
public ArrayLinearList() {
 currentSize = 2; 
 // array = (ArrayLinearList[]) new Object[2]; //Start with a container of size 2
 array = new Object[2];
}
 public static void main(String[] var0) {
 ArrayLinearList<String>[] myList;
 myList = new ArrayLinearList[2];
 myList[0] = "one";
 }
}

I am having quite a bit of trouble with the syntax with using generics in java. In my mind I have an array of size 2 where I am going to be placing strings. I will add more methods later but I want to understand why my current syntax is incorrect for placing this string in the array.

• Louis Wasserman: Generally speaking, generics and arrays don't mix in Java. Use a List instead.
• user4229245: @guillermoalvarez, I suggest you take a quick read through this clearly written tutorial: javacodegeeks.com/2011/04/java-generics-quick-tutorial.html
• Louis Wasserman: @tgm1024: I'd describe compiler errors on "new T[]" and "new Foo<Bar>[]" as "not mixing." I fully understand the difference between invariant generics and covariant arrays, but trying to squeeze generics and arrays together is rarely a good idea in practice, and using a List is almost always a better alternative that doesn't force you to suppress compiler warnings or perform unsafe casts.
• user4229245: @LouisWasserman, I'm not saying you're declaring that as mixed. But curious: Where do you perceive the unsafe cast in using arrays? A String array is of a type. ArrayList<String> is of a type. Do you have an example of the unsafe cast you mention? As I see it, the only confusion left is in covariance.
• Louis Wasserman: Usually you have to do (Foo<Bar>[]) new Foo[n] to get an array of a generic type, and that'll give you an unchecked cast warning. And that can lead to ClassCastExceptions at runtime, precisely because arrays are covariant and generics are invariant.

Answer 1

Here:

 ArrayLinearList<String>[] myList;

you define an array that holds ArrayLinearList<String> elements, not Strings, this is why you get the error message.

Answer 2

Your code here

ArrayLinearList<String>[] myList;
myList = new ArrayLinearList[2];//you have defining array myList of type ArrayLinearList
myList[0] = "one";//you are trying to store String to array which can hold ArrayLinearList

Here ArrayLinearList<String> means that your list will hold values of type String (provided we define it correctly in the code). But ArrayLinearList<String>[] will hold only reference of type ArrayLinearList and not String itself.

Answer 3

You need to use

myList.array[0] = "one";

Because myList is not an array. It's an object which you use to store an array within.