Re: ArrayList of ArrayList and unchecked conversions

From:
Lew <lew@lewscanon.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.help
Date:
Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:17:08 -0500
Message-ID:
<7r2dnXWs1qi5kDDanZ2dnUVZ_jKdnZ2d@comcast.com>
mrericscott@gmail.com wrote:

I seem to be having some trouble with a list of lists. Here's the
code:


When you post code, would you please post an SSCCE instead of fragments?

It's much easier to experiment and reason about the situation that way.
<http://www.physci.org/codes/sscce.html>

 //build a list of lists
 ArrayList<ArrayList> listOfLists = new ArrayList<ArrayList>();

 //build a list of DataPoints
 ArrayList<DataPoint> listOfPoints = new ArrayList<DataPoint>();

 //put a few DataPoints in the listOfPoints
 DataPoint point = new DataPoint("Howdy", 1);
 listOfPoints.add(point);
 point = new DataPoint("Dude", 2);
 listOfPoints.add(point);

 //put the listOfPoints in the listOfLists
 listOfLists.add(listOfPoints);

 //build a second list of DataPoinsts and put that in the listOfLIsts
 listOfPoints = new ArrayList<DataPoint>();
 point = new DataPoint("How are you", 20);
 listOfPoints.add(point);
 listOfLists.add(listOfPoints);

 //get the first element from each listOfPoints stored in the
listOfLists
 System.out.println(listOfLists.get(0).get(0)); // both work fine
 System.out.println(listOfLists.get(1).get(0));

 //try to retrieve the first list of data from the listOfLists
 listOfPoints = listOfLists.get(0); // ??? causes an unchecked
conversion
 System.out.println(listOfPoints.get(0)); //works fine

 //try to get the DataPoint directly from the listOfLists
 DataPoint retrievedPoint =
      listOfLists.get(0).get(0); // ??? causes "incompatible
type"

//----DataPoint Class Definition in seperate file
public class DataPoint
{
   public Object data;
   public int time;

   public DataPoint ()
   {
      data = null;
      time = 0;
   }

   public DataPoint(Object data, int ticks)
   {
      this.data = data;
      this.time = ticks;
   }

   public String toString()
   {
      String s = new String(data.toString() + " " + time);
      return s;
   }
}

The questions are these:
1) Why does the first ??? line cause the unchecked conversion?


Because the generic type <ArrayList> is itself a raw type.

1a) If that code isn't the right way to retrieve one of the lists
stored in the listOfLists, what is?


List< List <DataPoint> >

2) Why do both System.out.println statements work fine but the
second ??? causes an "incompatible type"


The first one retrieves via a raw type; the first get(0) retrieves a raw
ArrayList, the second get(0) in the expression retrieves an Object (not a
DataPoint).

The second one tries to retrieve a List<DataPoint> with the get(0) call, but
instead it retrieves a raw List which you then attempt to assign to the
List<DataPoint>. That generated the error.

2a) How do I go about retrieving data items from one of the sublists
properly?


Genericize all the Lists.

--
Lew

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