[java] How can I convert ArrayList<Object> to ArrayList<String>?

ArrayList<Object> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
list.add(1);
list.add("Java");
list.add(3.14);
System.out.println(list.toString());

I tried:

ArrayList<String> list2 = (String)list; 

But it gave me a compile error.

Using Java 8 lambda:

ArrayList<Object> obj = new ArrayList<>();
obj.add(1);
obj.add("Java");
obj.add(3.14);

ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<>();
obj.forEach((xx) -> list.add(String.valueOf(xx)));

A simple solution:

List<Object> lst  =listOfTypeObject;   
ArrayList<String> aryLst = new ArrayList<String>();
    for (int i = 0; i < lst.size(); i++) {
        aryLst.add(lst.get(i).toString());
    }

Note: this works when the list contains all the elements of datatype String.

Here is another alternative using Guava

List<Object> lst ...    
List<String> ls = Lists.transform(lst, Functions.toStringFunction());

Using Java 8 you can do:

List<Object> list = ...;
List<String> strList = list.stream()
                           .map( Object::toString )
                           .collect( Collectors.toList() );

With Java Generics Takes a list of X and returns a list of T that extends or implements X, Sweet!

    // the cast is is actually checked via the method API
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
public static <T extends X, X> ArrayList<T> convertToClazz(ArrayList<X> from, Class<X> inClazz, Class<T> outClazz) {
    ArrayList<T> to = new ArrayList<T>();
    for (X data : from) {
        to.add((T) data);
    }
    return to;
}

You can use wildcard to do this as following

ArrayList<String> strList = (ArrayList<String>)(ArrayList<?>)(list);

It's not safe to do that!
Imagine if you had:

ArrayList<Object> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
list.add(new Employee("Jonh"));
list.add(new Car("BMW","M3"));
list.add(new Chocolate("Twix"));

It wouldn't make sense to convert the list of those Objects to any type.

Your code ArrayList<String> list2 = (String)list; does not compile because list2 is not of type String. But that is not the only problem.

Using guava:

List<String> stringList=Lists.transform(list,new Function<Object,String>(){
    @Override
    public String apply(Object arg0) {
        if(arg0!=null)
            return arg0.toString();
        else
            return "null";
    }
});

If you want to do it the dirty way, try this.

@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
public ArrayList<String> convert(ArrayList<Object> a) {
   return (ArrayList) a;
}

Advantage: here you save time by not iterating over all objects.

Disadvantage: may produce a hole in your foot.