Create instance of generic type in Java?

Question

Is it possible to create an instance of a generic type in Java? I\'m thinking based on what I\'ve seen that the answer is no (due to type erasure), but

Answer 1

Here is an improved solution, based on ParameterizedType.getActualTypeArguments, already mentioned by @noah, @Lars Bohl, and some others.

First small improvement in the implementation. Factory should not return instance, but a type. As soon as you return instance using Class.newInstance() you reduce a scope of usage. Because only no-arguments constructors can be invoke like this. A better way is to return a type, and allow a client to choose, which constructor he wants to invoke:

public class TypeReference {
  public Class type(){
    try {
      ParameterizedType pt = (ParameterizedType) this.getClass().getGenericSuperclass();
      if (pt.getActualTypeArguments() == null || pt.getActualTypeArguments().length == 0){
        throw new IllegalStateException("Could not define type");
      }
      if (pt.getActualTypeArguments().length != 1){
        throw new IllegalStateException("More than one type has been found");
      }
      Type type = pt.getActualTypeArguments()[0];
      String typeAsString = type.getTypeName();
      return (Class) Class.forName(typeAsString);

    } catch (Exception e){
      throw new IllegalStateException("Could not identify type", e);
    }

  }
}

Here is a usage examples. @Lars Bohl has shown only a signe way to get reified geneneric via extension. @noah only via creating an instance with {}. Here are tests to demonstrate both cases:

import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;

public class TypeReferenceTest {

  private static final String NAME = "Peter";

  private static class Person{
    final String name;

    Person(String name) {
      this.name = name;
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void erased() {
    TypeReference p = new TypeReference<>();
    Assert.assertNotNull(p);
    try {
      p.type();
      Assert.fail();
    } catch (Exception e){
      Assert.assertEquals("Could not identify type", e.getMessage());
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void reified() throws Exception {
    TypeReference p = new TypeReference(){};
    Assert.assertNotNull(p);
    Assert.assertEquals(Person.class.getName(), p.type().getName());
    Constructor ctor = p.type().getDeclaredConstructor(NAME.getClass());
    Assert.assertNotNull(ctor);
    Person person = (Person) ctor.newInstance(NAME);
    Assert.assertEquals(NAME, person.name);
  }

  static class TypeReferencePerson extends TypeReference{}

  @Test
  public void reifiedExtenension() throws Exception {
    TypeReference p = new TypeReferencePerson();
    Assert.assertNotNull(p);
    Assert.assertEquals(Person.class.getName(), p.type().getName());
    Constructor ctor = p.type().getDeclaredConstructor(NAME.getClass());
    Assert.assertNotNull(ctor);
    Person person = (Person) ctor.newInstance(NAME);
    Assert.assertEquals(NAME, person.name);
  }
}

Note: you can force the clients of TypeReference always use {} when instance is created by making this class abstract: public abstract class TypeReference. I've not done it, only to show erased test case.