Generics cast issue

Question

Here\'s my issue: given these classes

class A {}
class B extends A {}

This code compiles:

    List

        

Answer 1

In the first example, the inferred type of the Arrays.asList() call is List>, which is obviously assignable to a variable of the same type.

In the second example, the type of the right side is List>. While Class is assignable to Class, List> is not assignable to List>. It would be assignable to List>.

The reason for this is the same one as why a List isn't assignable to List. If it was, it would make the following (not-typesafe) code possible:

List> bb = new ArrayList();
List> aa = bb;
aa.add(A.class);