How to have Java method return generic list of any type?

Question

I would like to write a method that would return a java.util.List of any type without the need to typecast anything:

List<User> users = magicalListGetter(User.class);

List<Vehicle> vehicles = magicalListGetter(Vehicle.class);

List<String> strings = magicalListGetter(String.class);

What would the method signature look like? Something like this, perhaps(?):

public List<<?> ?> magicalListGetter(Class<?> clazz) {
    List<?> list = doMagicalVooDooHere();

    return list;
}

Solution 1

private Object actuallyT;

public <T> List<T> magicalListGetter(Class<T> klazz) {
    List<T> list = new ArrayList<>();
    list.add(klazz.cast(actuallyT));
    try {
        list.add(klazz.getConstructor().newInstance()); // If default constructor
    } ...
    return list;
}

One can give a generic type parameter to a method too. You have correctly deduced that one needs the correct class instance, to create things (klazz.getConstructor().newInstance()).

Solution 2

No need to even pass the class:

public <T> List<T> magicalListGetter() {
    return new ArrayList<T>();
}

Solution 3

Another option is doing the following:

public class UserList extends List<User>{

}

public <T> T magicalListGetter(Class<T> clazz) {
    List<?> list = doMagicalVooDooHere();
    return (T)list;
}

List<User> users = magicalListGetter(UserList.class);

`

Solution 4

Let us have List<Object> objectList which we want to cast to List<T>

public <T> List<T> list(Class<T> c, List<Object> objectList){        
    List<T> list = new ArrayList<>();       
    for (Object o : objectList){
        T t = c.cast(o);
        list.add(t);
    }
    return list;
}

Solution 5

Something like this

publiс <T> List<T> magicalListGetter(Class<T> clazz) {
    List list = doMagicalVooDooHere();
    return list;
}

View more solutions

Comments

[newacct]

why pass clazz if you're not gonna use it?

[Evgeniy Dorofeev]

it was like this in the question, probably OP is going to use it somehow

[zygimantus]

I think that you need to pass a class when you want to add items.

[bhlowe]

This is the best solution if you want to manipulate the list and simply return the same type. (For instance, reversing the order, reducing the number of items, etc.) Passing a class would only be needed if you need to instantiate a new object of type T.