Static method in a generic class?

Question

In Java, I'd like to have something as:

class Clazz<T> {
  static void doIt(T object) {
    // shake that booty
  }
}

But I get

Cannot make a static reference to the non-static type T

I don't understand generics beyond the basic uses and thus can't make much sense of that. It doesn't help that I wasn't able to find much info on the internet about the subject.

Could someone clarify if such use is possible, by a similar manner? Also, why was my original attempt unsuccessful?

Answer 1

@BD at Rivenhill: Since this old question has gotten renewed attention last year, let us go on a bit, just for the sake of discussion. The body of your doIt method does not do anything T-specific at all. Here it is:

public class Clazz<T> {
  static <T> void doIt(T object) {
    System.out.println("shake that booty '" + object.getClass().toString()
                       + "' !!!");
  }
// ...
}

So you can entirely drop all type variables and just code

public class Clazz {
  static void doIt(Object object) {
    System.out.println("shake that booty '" + object.getClass().toString()
                       + "' !!!");
  }
// ...
}

Ok. But let's get back closer to the original problem. The first type variable on the class declaration is redundant. Only the second one on the method is needed. Here we go again, but it is not the final answer, yet:

public class Clazz  {
  static <T extends Saying> void doIt(T object) {
    System.out.println("shake that booty "+ object.say());
  }

  public static void main(String args[]) {
    Clazz.doIt(new KC());
    Clazz.doIt(new SunshineBand());
  }
}
// Output:
// KC
// Sunshine

interface Saying {
      public String say();
}

class KC implements Saying {
      public String say() {
          return "KC";
      }
}

class SunshineBand implements Saying {
      public String say() {
          return "Sunshine";
      }
}

However, it's all too much fuss about nothing, since the following version works just the same way. All it needs is the interface type on the method parameter. No type variables in sight anywhere. Was that really the original problem?

public class Clazz  {
  static void doIt(Saying object) {
    System.out.println("shake that booty "+ object.say());
  }

  public static void main(String args[]) {
    Clazz.doIt(new KC());
    Clazz.doIt(new SunshineBand());
  }
}

interface Saying {
      public String say();
}

class KC implements Saying {
      public String say() {
          return "KC";
      }
}

class SunshineBand implements Saying {
      public String say() {
          return "Sunshine";
      }
}

Answer 2

Something like the following would get you closer

class Clazz
{
   public static <U extends Clazz> void doIt(U thing)
   {
   }
}

EDIT: Updated example with more detail

public abstract class Thingo 
{

    public static <U extends Thingo> void doIt(U p_thingo)
    {
        p_thingo.thing();
    }

    protected abstract void thing();

}

class SubThingoOne extends Thingo
{
    @Override
    protected void thing() 
    {
        System.out.println("SubThingoOne");
    }
}

class SubThingoTwo extends Thingo
{

    @Override
    protected void thing() 
    {
        System.out.println("SuThingoTwo");
    }

}

public class ThingoTest 
{

    @Test
    public void test() 
    {
        Thingo t1 = new SubThingoOne();
        Thingo t2 = new SubThingoTwo();

        Thingo.doIt(t1);
        Thingo.doIt(t2);

        // compile error -->  Thingo.doIt(new Object());
    }
}

Answer 3

I ran into this same problem. I found my answer by downloading the source code for Collections.sort in the java framework. The answer I used was to put the <T> generic in the method, not in the class definition.

So this worked:

public class QuickSortArray  {
    public static <T extends Comparable> void quickSort(T[] array, int bottom, int top){
//do it
}

}

Of course, after reading the answers above I realized that this would be an acceptable alternative without using a generic class:

public static void quickSort(Comparable[] array, int bottom, int top){
//do it
}

Answer 4

Since static variables are shared by all instances of the class. For example if you are having following code

class Class<T> {
  static void doIt(T object) {
    // using T here 
  }
}

T is available only after an instance is created. But static methods can be used even before instances are available. So, Generic type parameters cannot be referenced inside static methods and variables

Answer 5

Others have answered your question already, but in addition I can thoroughly recomment the O'Reilly Java Generics book. It's a subtle and complex subject at times, and if often seems to have pointless restrictions, but the book does a pretty good job of explaining why java generics are the way they are.

Answer 6

Java doesn't know what T is until you instantiate a type.

Maybe you can execute static methods by calling Clazz<T>.doit(something) but it sounds like you can't.

The other way to handle things is to put the type parameter in the method itself:

static <U> void doIt(U object)

which doesn't get you the right restriction on U, but it's better than nothing....