Generics at method level

Question

As we all know, in Java5.0, Sun introduced Generics. Now I used this at class level and at field method. However I tried using them at method level, but could not succeced.
I did a search on the internet and I found a very good article about generics. The url is the following: http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-djc02113.html
Scrolling to the bottom, I found out what I needed. the example on that website shows the following:class Utilities {
   <T extends Object> public static List<T> make(T first) {
     return new List<T>(first);
}However I tried to do this code in a method inside my project, but did not work at all.
Does any one know how I can do generics at method level. What I want to achieve is that you pass the class type you want to be returned as a generic at the method level.
regards,
sim085

Answer 1

Please before you check my code, check the example that there is in the article, that is the code I posted in my first post. I based all this on the information I read from the website, and since the source looks very reliable,, there is no need for me to doubt that it works!
I did a simple example, I am just using generics to get used to them ... Here comes the exampleimport java.util.*;
public class Test{
     private List<String> myList;
     public Test(){
          myList = new ArrayList<String>();
          <List>normalMethod();
     <T>public T normalMethod(){
          return null;
     <T>public static void staticMethod(){
     public static void main(String... args){
          <List>staticMethod();
          new Test();
}The exception throws is an exception you would see when the syntax is incorrect. However I do have Java5.0 and if you delete the methods and the method calls, but you leave the generics at the field level , the code would compile.
The exception throws are the following:C:\Documents and Settings\saquilina\My Documents\Test.java:21: illegal start of type
     <T>public static void staticMethod(){
           ^
C:\Documents and Settings\saquilina\My Documents\Test.java:32: <identifier> expected
}Now since in the example in that website they use a static method, I tried it also with a static method, but it did not work all the same :(
regards,
sim085