Java generics, get Class of generic parameter

Question

I have an abstract class:

public abstract class RootProcessor {
    Class clazz;
}

I need to fill ClassT clazz;

Answer 1

The typesafe, but boilerplatey way to do this is to pass the Class token "where the compiler can see it":

public abstract class RootProcessor {
    Class clazz;

    protected RootProcessor(Class clazz) {
        this.clazz = clazz;
    }
}

public class FooProcessor extends RootProcessor {
    public FooProcessor() {
        super(Foo.class);
    }
}

If you're doing an unchecked cast but you "know what you're doing" and want the compiler to stop complaining, the correct approach would be localising the non-type-safe-but-you-know-they-work bits and using @SuppressWarnings:

public abstract class RootProcessor {
    Class clazz;
    { initClazz(); }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    private void initClazz() {
        // the usual verbiage you already have in your question
        this.clazz = this.getClass().getGenericSuperclass().yadda().blah();
    }
}

(I won't hold this against you :P)