Java – Implementing Comparable with a generic class

comparablegenericsinterfacejavaraw-types

I want to define a class that implements the generic Comparable interface. While in my class I also defined a generic type element T. In order to implement the interface, I delegate the comparison to T. Here is my code:

public class Item<T extends Comparable<T>> implements Comparable<Item> {

    private int s;
    private T t;

    public T getT() {
        return t;
    }

    @Override
    public int compareTo(Item o) {
        return getT().compareTo(o.getT());
    }
}

When I try to compile it, I get the following error information:

Item.java:11: error: method compareTo in interface Comparable<T#2> cannot be applied to given types;
        return getT().compareTo(o.getT());
                     ^
  required: T#1
  found: Comparable
  reason: actual argument Comparable cannot be converted to T#1 by method invocation conversion
  where T#1,T#2 are type-variables:
    T#1 extends Comparable<T#1> declared in class Item
    T#2 extends Object declared in interface Comparable
1 error

Can anybody tell me why and how to fix it?

Best Answer

Item (without any type argument) is a raw type, so:

We could pass any kind of Item to Item.compareTo. For example, this would compile:
```
new Item<String>().compareTo(new Item<Integer>())
```
The method o.getT() returns Comparable instead of T, which causes the compilation error.

In the example under the 1st point, after passing Item<Integer> to Item.compareTo, we would then erroneously pass an Integer to String.compareTo. The compilation error prevents us from writing the code which does that.

I think you just need to remove the raw types:

public class Item<T extends Comparable<T>>
implements Comparable<Item<T>> {

    ...

    @Override
    public int compareTo(Item<T> o) {
        return getT().compareTo(o.getT());
    }
}

Related Solutions

Java – How to test a class that has private methods, fields or inner classes

Update:

Some 10 years later perhaps the best way to test a private method, or any inaccessible member, is via @Jailbreak from the Manifold framework.
@Jailbreak Foo foo = new Foo();
// Direct, *type-safe* access to *all* foo's members
foo.privateMethod(x, y, z);
foo.privateField = value;
This way your code remains type-safe and readable. No design compromises, no overexposing methods and fields for the sake of tests.

If you have somewhat of a legacy Java application, and you're not allowed to change the visibility of your methods, the best way to test private methods is to use reflection.

Internally we're using helpers to get/set private and private static variables as well as invoke private and private static methods. The following patterns will let you do pretty much anything related to the private methods and fields. Of course, you can't change private static final variables through reflection.

Method method = TargetClass.getDeclaredMethod(methodName, argClasses);
method.setAccessible(true);
return method.invoke(targetObject, argObjects);

And for fields:

Field field = TargetClass.getDeclaredField(fieldName);
field.setAccessible(true);
field.set(object, value);

Notes:
1. TargetClass.getDeclaredMethod(methodName, argClasses) lets you look into private methods. The same thing applies for getDeclaredField.
2. The setAccessible(true) is required to play around with privates.

Java inner class and static nested class

From the Java Tutorial:

Nested classes are divided into two categories: static and non-static. Nested classes that are declared static are simply called static nested classes. Non-static nested classes are called inner classes.

Static nested classes are accessed using the enclosing class name:

OuterClass.StaticNestedClass

For example, to create an object for the static nested class, use this syntax:

OuterClass.StaticNestedClass nestedObject = new OuterClass.StaticNestedClass();

Objects that are instances of an inner class exist within an instance of the outer class. Consider the following classes:

class OuterClass {
    ...
    class InnerClass {
        ...
    }
}

An instance of InnerClass can exist only within an instance of OuterClass and has direct access to the methods and fields of its enclosing instance.

To instantiate an inner class, you must first instantiate the outer class. Then, create the inner object within the outer object with this syntax:

OuterClass outerObject = new OuterClass()
OuterClass.InnerClass innerObject = outerObject.new InnerClass();

see: Java Tutorial - Nested Classes

For completeness note that there is also such a thing as an inner class without an enclosing instance:

class A {
  int t() { return 1; }
  static A a =  new A() { int t() { return 2; } };
}

Here, new A() { ... } is an inner class defined in a static context and does not have an enclosing instance.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Java – How to test a class that has private methods, fields or inner classes

Java inner class and static nested class

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