[java] How to make a Java Generic method static?

The following is a snippet on how to make a java generic class to append a single item to an array. How can I make appendToArray a static method. Adding static to the method signature results in compile errors.

public class ArrayUtils<E> {

        public E[] appendToArray(E[] array, E item) {
            E[] result = (E[])new Object[array.length+1];
            result[array.length] = item;
            return result;
        }
}

You need to move type parameter to the method level to indicate that you have a generic method rather than generic class:

public class ArrayUtils {
    public static <T> E[] appendToArray(E[] array, E item) {
        E[] result = (E[])new Object[array.length+1];
        result[array.length] = item;
        return result;
    }
}

public static <E> E[] appendToArray(E[] array, E item) { ...

Note the <E>.

Static generic methods need their own generic declaration (public static <E>) separate from the class's generic declaration (public class ArrayUtils<E>).

If the compiler complains about a type ambiguity in invoking a static generic method (again not likely in your case, but, generally speaking, just in case), here's how to explicitly invoke a static generic method using a specific type (_class_.<_generictypeparams_>_methodname_):

String[] newStrings = ArrayUtils.<String>appendToArray(strings, "another string");

This would only happen if the compiler can't determine the generic type because, e.g. the generic type isn't related to the method arguments.

I'll explain it in a simple way.

Generics defined at Class level are completely separate from the generics defined at the (static) method level.

class Greet<T> {

    public static <T> void sayHello(T obj) {
        System.out.println("Hello " + obj);
    }
}

When you see the above code anywhere, please note that the T defined at the class level has nothing to do with the T defined in the static method. The following code is also completely valid and equivalent to the above code.

class Greet<T> {

    public static <E> void sayHello(E obj) {
        System.out.println("Hello " + obj);
    }
}

Why the static method needs to have its own generics separate from those of the Class?

This is because, the static method can be called without even instantiating the Class. So if the Class is not yet instantiated, we do not yet know what is T. This is the reason why the static methods needs to have its own generics.

So, whenever you are calling the static method,

Greet.sayHello("Bob");
Greet.sayHello(123);

JVM interprets it as the following.

Greet.<String>sayHello("Bob");
Greet.<Integer>sayHello(123);

Both giving the same outputs.

Hello Bob
Hello 123