Double brace initialisation (anonymous inner class) with diamond operator

Question

I am wondering why the second map declaration (using the diamond operator) does not compile when the first one does. Compilation error:

error: cannot infer type arguments for HashMap; Map map2 = new HashMap<>() { reason: cannot use '<>' with anonymous inner classes where K,V are type-variables: K extends Object declared in class HashMap V extends Object declared in class HashMap

Code:

    Map<String, String> map1 = new HashMap<String, String>() { //compiles fine

        {
            put("abc", "abc");
        }
    };

    Map<String, String> map2 = new HashMap<>() { //does not compile

        {
            put("abc", "abc");
        }
    };

EDIT
Thanks for your answers - I should have read the compilation error better. I found the exaplanation in the JLS

It is a compile-time error if a class instance creation expression declares an anonymous class using the "<>" form for the class's type arguments.

Where is the *static* initializer referred to in your title? — Jon Skeet, Mar 19 '12 at 16:15
@JonSkeet you are right, can't remember how the "double brace" is called... — assylias, Mar 19 '12 at 16:16
The error refers to an `EnumMap`, but you have only `HashMap`s in your code. — Steve, Mar 19 '12 at 16:16
The error message is pretty self-explanatory: you've created an anonymous inner class of `EnumMap`. I presume, it was accidental. — biziclop, Mar 19 '12 at 16:17
@JonSkeet The static initializers are right there in the anonymous classes. — Steve, Mar 19 '12 at 16:17
@SteveTaylor I changed the code but not the error message - amended — assylias, Mar 19 '12 at 16:19
Oops - It's an instance initializer, not a static initializer. — Steve, Mar 19 '12 at 16:24

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 19 '12 at 16:18

You don't have a static initializer here (the keyword static is missing altogether).

Basically you create a new anonymous subclass of HashMap and define the instance intializer block here. Btw, this only works since HashMap is not final.

Since you'll get an anonymous subclass of HashMap the diamond operator doesn't work here, since the subclass would then be compiled as if you wrote ... extends HashMap<Object, Object> and this clearly isn't compatible to Map<String, String>.

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 19 '12 at 16:19

5

Diamond inference doesn't work for instantiating anonymous classes, which is what you're doing here.

Try this:

Map<String, String> map1 = new HashMap<>();

{
    map1.put("abc", "abc");
}

answered Mar 19 '12 at 16:19

Steve

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chiperortiz · Answer 3 · 2015-05-11T12:07:39.087

3

This feature is part of Project Coin 2 and will be avalaible in Java 9 coming September 22 of 2016.

It's call Allowing the diamond syntax with some anonymous class constructors.

Link.

edited May 11 '15 at 12:07

answered May 10 '15 at 16:02

chiperortiz

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 12 '14 at 16:14

1

Note that you could also omit the diamond altogether. However, while this compiles, it's only because it's ignoring the Java generics and leans on the fact that Java is backwards compatible with previous versions.

Map<String, String> map1 = new HashMap() { //compiles fine
    {
        put("abc", "abc");
    }
};

answered Jun 12 '14 at 16:14

Jeff Fairley

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correct ... since `it's ignoring the Java generics` – Jeff Fairley Jun 12 '14 at 18:16

Double brace initialisation (anonymous inner class) with diamond operator

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