Generics Best Practices

When and how to use generics

5 min read

Generics Best Practices

  • Avoid raw types
  • Use bounded types when needed
  • Prefer wildcards for API flexibility
  • Follow PECS rule (Producer Extends, Consumer Super)
  • Keep generics simple

Code Examples

PECS principle

java
1
2List<? super Integer> list = new ArrayList<Number>();
3list.add(10);
4

Use Cases

  • Library design
  • Clean APIs

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Overengineering generics
  • Ignoring compiler warnings