The presence of multiple "return types" in a Java method definition can seem puzzling. Let's delve into an example:
where Foo is a class you have defined.
Question: What is the Return Type of This Method?
Answer: This method has a single return type: List
Question: Why Does It Seem to Have Two Return Types?
Answer: The method utilizes generics, a powerful feature in Java that allows for the creation of methods that work with different types by using type parameters. In this case:
In essence, the method declares that it can work with any type that extends Foo and returns a list of such types. This provides flexibility and type safety, ensuring that the returned list contains only objects that are subclasses of Foo.
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