[jira] Created: (LANG-537) Add ArrayUtils.toArray to create generic arrays

[Joerg Schaible (JIRA)]

Add ArrayUtils.toArray to create generic arrays
-----------------------------------------------

                 Key: LANG-537
                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LANG-537
             Project: Commons Lang
          Issue Type: New Feature
    Affects Versions: 3.0
            Reporter: Joerg Schaible
            Assignee: Joerg Schaible
             Fix For: 3.0


{code:java}
/**
 * Create a type-safe generic array.
 *
 * <p>Arrays are covariant i.e. they cannot be created from a generic type:</p>
 *
 * <pre>
public static &lt;T&gt; T[] toArray(int size)
{
    return T[size]; // compiler error here
}
public static &lt;T&gt; T[] toArray(int size)
{
    return (T[])Object[size]; // ClassCastException at runtime
}
 * </pre>
 *
 * <p>Therefore new arrays of generic types can be created with this method, 
e.g. an arrays of Strings:</p>
 *
 * <pre>
String[] array = ArrayUtils.toArray("1", "2");
String[] emptyArray = ArrayUtils.&lt;String&gt;toArray();
 * </pre>
 *
 * @param  <T>   the array's element type
 * @param  items the items of the array
 * @return the array
 * @author J&ouml;rg Schaible
 * @since  3.0
 */
public static <T> T[] toArray(final T... items)
{
    return items;
}
{code}

Tests:

{code:java}
/**
 * Tests generic array creation with specified type.
 */
public void testArrayCreation()
{
    final String[] array = ArrayUtils.toArray("foo", "bar");
    assertEquals(2, array.length);
    assertEquals("foo", array[0]);
    assertEquals("bar", array[1]);
}

/**
 * Tests generic array creation with generic type.
 */
public void testIndirectArrayCreation()
{
    final String[] array = toArray("foo", "bar");
    assertEquals(2, array.length);
    assertEquals("foo", array[0]);
    assertEquals("bar", array[1]);
}

/**
 * Tests generic empty array creation with generic type.
 */
public void testEmptyArrayCreation()
{
    final String[] array = ArrayUtils.<String>toArray();
    assertEquals(0, array.length);
}

/**
 * Tests indirect generic empty array creation with generic type.
 */
public void testIndirectEmptyArrayCreation()
{
    final String[] array = toArray();
    assertEquals(0, array.length);
}

private static <T> T[] toArray(final T... items)
{
    return ArrayUtils.toArray(items);
}
{code}

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