TypeVariable (Java Platform SE 7 b138)

Type Parameters:
D - the type of generic declaration that declared the underlying type variable.

All Superinterfaces:

Type
```
public interface TypeVariable<D extends GenericDeclaration>
extends Type
```
TypeVariable is the common superinterface for type variables of kinds. A type variable is created the first time it is needed by a reflective method, as specified in this package. If a type variable t is referenced by a type (i.e, class, interface or annotation type) T, and T is declared by the nth enclosing class of T (see JLS 8.1.2), then the creation of t requires the resolution (see JVMS 5) of the ith enclosing class of T, for i = 0 to n, inclusive. Creating a type variable must not cause the creation of its bounds. Repeated creation of a type variable has no effect.
Multiple objects may be instantiated at run-time to represent a given type variable. Even though a type variable is created only once, this does not imply any requirement to cache instances representing the type variable. However, all instances representing a type variable must be equal() to each other. As a consequence, users of type variables must not rely on the identity of instances of classes implementing this interface.

Since:

1.5

Method Summary

Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`Type[]`	`getBounds()` Returns an array of `Type` objects representing the upper bound(s) of this type variable.
`D`	`getGenericDeclaration()` Returns the `GenericDeclaration` object representing the generic declaration declared this type variable.
`String`	`getName()` Returns the name of this type variable, as it occurs in the source code.

- Method Detail
  - getBounds
```
Type[] getBounds()
```
    Returns an array of Type objects representing the upper bound(s) of this type variable. Note that if no upper bound is explicitly declared, the upper bound is Object.
    For each upper bound B:
    - if B is a parameterized type or a type variable, it is created, (see ParameterizedType for the details of the creation process for parameterized types).
    - Otherwise, B is resolved.
    Returns:
    an array of Types representing the upper bound(s) of this type variable
    
    Throws:
    
    TypeNotPresentException - if any of the bounds refers to a non-existent type declaration
    
    MalformedParameterizedTypeException - if any of the bounds refer to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated for any reason
  - getGenericDeclaration
```
D getGenericDeclaration()
```
    Returns the GenericDeclaration object representing the generic declaration declared this type variable.
    
    Returns:
    the generic declaration declared for this type variable.
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getName
```
String getName()
```
    Returns the name of this type variable, as it occurs in the source code.
    
    Returns:
    the name of this type variable, as it appears in the source code

Submit a bug or feature
For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java SE Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.
Copyright © 1993, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
DRAFT ea-b138

Interface TypeVariable<D extends GenericDeclaration>

Method Summary

Method Detail

getBounds

getGenericDeclaration

getName