Types (Java Platform SE 7 )

```
public interface Types
```
Utility methods for operating on types.
Compatibility Note: Methods may be added to this interface in future releases of the platform.

Since:

1.6

See Also:
ProcessingEnvironment.getTypeUtils()

Method Summary

Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`Element`	`asElement(TypeMirror t)` Returns the element corresponding to a type.
`TypeMirror`	`asMemberOf(DeclaredType containing, Element element)` Returns the type of an element when that element is viewed as a member of, or otherwise directly contained by, a given type.
`TypeElement`	`boxedClass(PrimitiveType p)` Returns the class of a boxed value of a given primitive type.
`TypeMirror`	`capture(TypeMirror t)` Applies capture conversion to a type.
`boolean`	`contains(TypeMirror t1, TypeMirror t2)` Tests whether one type argument contains another.
`List<? extends TypeMirror>`	`directSupertypes(TypeMirror t)` Returns the direct supertypes of a type.
`TypeMirror`	`erasure(TypeMirror t)` Returns the erasure of a type.
`ArrayType`	`getArrayType(TypeMirror componentType)` Returns an array type with the specified component type.
`DeclaredType`	`getDeclaredType(DeclaredType containing, TypeElement typeElem, TypeMirror... typeArgs)` Returns the type corresponding to a type element and actual type arguments, given a containing type of which it is a member.
`DeclaredType`	`getDeclaredType(TypeElement typeElem, TypeMirror... typeArgs)` Returns the type corresponding to a type element and actual type arguments.
`NoType`	`getNoType(TypeKind kind)` Returns a pseudo-type used where no actual type is appropriate.
`NullType`	`getNullType()` Returns the null type.
`PrimitiveType`	`getPrimitiveType(TypeKind kind)` Returns a primitive type.
`WildcardType`	`getWildcardType(TypeMirror extendsBound, TypeMirror superBound)` Returns a new wildcard type argument.
`boolean`	`isAssignable(TypeMirror t1, TypeMirror t2)` Tests whether one type is assignable to another.
`boolean`	`isSameType(TypeMirror t1, TypeMirror t2)` Tests whether two `TypeMirror` objects represent the same type.
`boolean`	`isSubsignature(ExecutableType m1, ExecutableType m2)` Tests whether the signature of one method is a subsignature of another.
`boolean`	`isSubtype(TypeMirror t1, TypeMirror t2)` Tests whether one type is a subtype of another.
`PrimitiveType`	`unboxedType(TypeMirror t)` Returns the type (a primitive type) of unboxed values of a given type.

- Method Detail
  - asElement
```
Element asElement(TypeMirror t)
```
    Returns the element corresponding to a type. The type may be a DeclaredType or TypeVariable. Returns null if the type is not one with a corresponding element.
    
    Returns:
    the element corresponding to the given type
  - isSameType
```
boolean isSameType(TypeMirror t1,
                 TypeMirror t2)
```
    Tests whether two TypeMirror objects represent the same type.
    Caveat: if either of the arguments to this method represents a wildcard, this method will return false. As a consequence, a wildcard is not the same type as itself. This might be surprising at first, but makes sense once you consider that an example like this must be rejected by the compiler:
```
   List<?> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
   list.add(list.get(0));
 
```
    Parameters:
    t1 - the first type
    t2 - the second type
    
    Returns:
    true if and only if the two types are the same
  - isSubtype
```
boolean isSubtype(TypeMirror t1,
                TypeMirror t2)
```
    Tests whether one type is a subtype of another. Any type is considered to be a subtype of itself.
    
    Parameters:
    t1 - the first type
    t2 - the second type
    
    Returns:
    true if and only if the first type is a subtype of the second
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given an executable or package type
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    4.10 Subtyping
  - isAssignable
```
boolean isAssignable(TypeMirror t1,
                   TypeMirror t2)
```
    Tests whether one type is assignable to another.
    
    Parameters:
    t1 - the first type
    t2 - the second type
    
    Returns:
    true if and only if the first type is assignable to the second
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given an executable or package type
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    5.2 Assignment Conversion
  - contains
```
boolean contains(TypeMirror t1,
               TypeMirror t2)
```
    Tests whether one type argument contains another.
    
    Parameters:
    t1 - the first type
    t2 - the second type
    
    Returns:
    true if and only if the first type contains the second
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given an executable or package type
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    4.5.1.1 Type Argument Containment and Equivalence
  - isSubsignature
```
boolean isSubsignature(ExecutableType m1,
                     ExecutableType m2)
```
    Tests whether the signature of one method is a subsignature of another.
    
    Parameters:
    m1 - the first method
    m2 - the second method
    
    Returns:
    true if and only if the first signature is a subsignature of the second
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    8.4.2 Method Signature
  - directSupertypes
```
List<? extends TypeMirror> directSupertypes(TypeMirror t)
```
    Returns the direct supertypes of a type. The interface types, if any, will appear last in the list.
    
    Parameters:
    t - the type being examined
    
    Returns:
    the direct supertypes, or an empty list if none
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given an executable or package type
  - erasure
```
TypeMirror erasure(TypeMirror t)
```
    Returns the erasure of a type.
    
    Parameters:
    t - the type to be erased
    
    Returns:
    the erasure of the given type
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given a package type
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    4.6 Type Erasure
  - boxedClass
```
TypeElement boxedClass(PrimitiveType p)
```
    Returns the class of a boxed value of a given primitive type. That is, boxing conversion is applied.
    
    Parameters:
    p - the primitive type to be converted
    
    Returns:
    the class of a boxed value of type p
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    5.1.7 Boxing Conversion
  - unboxedType
```
PrimitiveType unboxedType(TypeMirror t)
```
    Returns the type (a primitive type) of unboxed values of a given type. That is, unboxing conversion is applied.
    
    Parameters:
    t - the type to be unboxed
    
    Returns:
    the type of an unboxed value of type t
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the given type has no unboxing conversion
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    5.1.8 Unboxing Conversion
  - capture
```
TypeMirror capture(TypeMirror t)
```
    Applies capture conversion to a type.
    
    Parameters:
    t - the type to be converted
    
    Returns:
    the result of applying capture conversion
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if given an executable or package type
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    5.1.10 Capture Conversion
  - getPrimitiveType
```
PrimitiveType getPrimitiveType(TypeKind kind)
```
    Returns a primitive type.
    
    Parameters:
    kind - the kind of primitive type to return
    
    Returns:
    a primitive type
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if kind is not a primitive kind
  - getNullType
```
NullType getNullType()
```
    Returns the null type. This is the type of null.
    
    Returns:
    the null type
  - getNoType
```
NoType getNoType(TypeKind kind)
```
    Returns a pseudo-type used where no actual type is appropriate. The kind of type to return may be either VOID or NONE. For packages, use Elements.getPackageElement(CharSequence).asType() instead.
    
    Parameters:
    kind - the kind of type to return
    
    Returns:
    a pseudo-type of kind VOID or NONE
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if kind is not valid
  - getArrayType
```
ArrayType getArrayType(TypeMirror componentType)
```
    Returns an array type with the specified component type.
    
    Parameters:
    componentType - the component type
    
    Returns:
    an array type with the specified component type.
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the component type is not valid for an array
  - getWildcardType
```
WildcardType getWildcardType(TypeMirror extendsBound,
                           TypeMirror superBound)
```
    Returns a new wildcard type argument. Either of the wildcard's bounds may be specified, or neither, but not both.
    
    Parameters:
    extendsBound - the extends (upper) bound, or null if none
    superBound - the super (lower) bound, or null if none
    
    Returns:
    a new wildcard
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if bounds are not valid
  - getDeclaredType
```
DeclaredType getDeclaredType(TypeElement typeElem,
                           TypeMirror... typeArgs)
```
    Returns the type corresponding to a type element and actual type arguments. Given the type element for Set and the type mirror for String, for example, this method may be used to get the parameterized type Set<String>.
    The number of type arguments must either equal the number of the type element's formal type parameters, or must be zero. If zero, and if the type element is generic, then the type element's raw type is returned.
    If a parameterized type is being returned, its type element must not be contained within a generic outer class. The parameterized type Outer<String>.Inner<Number>, for example, may be constructed by first using this method to get the type Outer<String>, and then invoking getDeclaredType(DeclaredType, TypeElement, TypeMirror...).
    
    Parameters:
    typeElem - the type element
    typeArgs - the actual type arguments
    
    Returns:
    the type corresponding to the type element and actual type arguments
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if too many or too few type arguments are given, or if an inappropriate type argument or type element is provided
  - getDeclaredType
```
DeclaredType getDeclaredType(DeclaredType containing,
                           TypeElement typeElem,
                           TypeMirror... typeArgs)
```
    Returns the type corresponding to a type element and actual type arguments, given a containing type of which it is a member. The parameterized type Outer<String>.Inner<Number>, for example, may be constructed by first using getDeclaredType(TypeElement, TypeMirror...) to get the type Outer<String>, and then invoking this method.
    If the containing type is a parameterized type, the number of type arguments must equal the number of typeElem's formal type parameters. If it is not parameterized or if it is null, this method is equivalent to getDeclaredType(typeElem, typeArgs).
    
    Parameters:
    containing - the containing type, or null if none
    typeElem - the type element
    typeArgs - the actual type arguments
    
    Returns:
    the type corresponding to the type element and actual type arguments, contained within the given type
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if too many or too few type arguments are given, or if an inappropriate type argument, type element, or containing type is provided
  - asMemberOf
```
TypeMirror asMemberOf(DeclaredType containing,
                    Element element)
```
    Returns the type of an element when that element is viewed as a member of, or otherwise directly contained by, a given type. For example, when viewed as a member of the parameterized type Set<String>, the Set.add method is an ExecutableType whose parameter is of type String.
    
    Parameters:
    containing - the containing type
    element - the element
    
    Returns:
    the type of the element as viewed from the containing type
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the element is not a valid one for the given type

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Interface Types

Method Summary

Method Detail

asElement

isSameType

isSubtype

isAssignable

contains

isSubsignature

directSupertypes

erasure

boxedClass

unboxedType

capture

getPrimitiveType

getNullType

getNoType

getArrayType

getWildcardType

getDeclaredType

getDeclaredType

asMemberOf