Why is Java Generic called generic?

[Yeddu Prabhakara Rao]

Small confusion in understanding the name Java 'Generic'

List myIntList = new LinkedList(); // 1
myIntList.add(new Integer(0)); // 2
Integer x = (Integer) myIntList.iterator().next(); // 3

In the code snippet above, myIntList can be casted to any type(Integer,Double ,String..) which means that variable myIntList though not TYPESAFE is a GENERIC variable as it can be casted to any required type . Now consider the following code:

List<Integer> myIntList = new LinkedList<Integer>(); // 1’
myIntList.add(new Integer(0)); //2’
Integer x = myIntList.iterator().next(); // 3’

The variable myIntList is being RESTRICTED to be of type Integer. Then why is the term GENERIC coined ? Am I overlooking an important idea behind this?

Thanks in advance.

[Mike Simmons]

I wrote about this back here. See my response after Janeice asks "Why do they call it 'generics' when it's all about being more 'specific'?" It's part of a much larger conversation, but I think it also stands on its own.

[Rob Spoor]

The term is inherited from existing techniques, started in 1983 and made quite popular by C++. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_programming

[David Newton]

Rob Prime wrote:The term is inherited from existing techniques, started in 1983 and made quite popular by C++. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_programming

No way; Ada had generics in the late 70's.

<offtopic>Ada had some really nice features.</offtopic>

[Rob Spoor]

Then I suggest you modify the Wiki article, because it clearly states

This approach, pioneered by Ada in 1983

[David Newton]

It also states "Ada has had generics since it was first designed in 1977–1980", and to be honest, I don't remember it *not* being in Ada, but that was a long time ago, and I was little.

[Rob Spoor]

That'll teach me to read beyond the first 5 lines...

[David Newton]

Bah; where's the adventure in that?

[Sha Jar]

Yeddu Prabhakara Rao wrote:is a GENERIC variable as it can be casted to any required type .

The term generic variable doesn't exist in Java.

The meaning you've assigned to it is arbitrary.