Java Generics and Method signature

Question

Im trying to create overloading methods in java:

private BasesResponse getResponse(List<ClassA> classA) {
...
}

private BasesResponse getResponse(List<ClassB> classB) {
    ...
}

But eclipse is complaining about: Method getResponse(List<ClassA>) has the same erasure getResponse(List<E>) as another method in type BasisInformationEndpoint.

I thought method signature is method name + parmeter list.... but how can List<ClassA> be the same as List<ClassB>? Doesnt make sense to me.

Answer 1

Java generic type erasure will make it

private BasesResponse getResponse(List classA) {
...
}

private BasesResponse getResponse(List classB) {
    ...
}

After type erasure it is the same for compiler.

Answer 2

The generic types (<...>) are present only before compilation stage, to be used for static typing.

Once compiled, those types are "erased" and List<ClassA> essentially becomes List. Thus you can see that when this happens, your two functions become identical.

This is called type erasure, as has been mentioned by the commenter.