Generics: compiler bug or not?

Question

Hi.
I faced with some strange issue, which may be described as follows:
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
public class Test<T> {
    public List<String> getStrings() {
        return Collections.emptyList();
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Test test = new Test();
        for (String s : test.getStrings()) { // first
            System.out.println(s);
        Class aClass = test.getClass();
        Deprecated annotation = aClass.getAnnotation(Deprecated.class); // second
}The lines commented as "first" and "second" cause compilation error "incompatible types". The problem can be fixed the following way:
        Test<?> test = new Test();
        for (String s : test.getStrings()) { // first
            System.out.println(s);
        Class<?> aClass = test.getClass();
        Deprecated annotation = aClass.getAnnotation(Deprecated.class); // secondBut why does it appearat all?
Regards,
Maxim

Answer 1

Might be better off sticking this in the generics
forum, since Mr von der Ahe hangs around there so
much. Although I'm not convinced he'd concede that
ECJ got it right where his beloved javac didn't :-)Ok, I will cross post (and flag it as a cross post). I remember that I had another thread there, a long time ago, and Eclipse was correct at that time :)
Kaj