What is a Generic Class?

What is a Generic Class?

• A. A class that can use multiple data types.
• B. A class designed for single data type.
• C. A class that cannot be instantiated.
• D. A class that stores binary data.

Answer: (A)

A Generic Class enables type flexibility by introducing a placeholder for a data type. The class is written once, and the specific type is provided when you create an instance, giving you a strongly typed container that works with any data type. This reduces code duplication and catches type errors at compile time. For example, a container class Box<T> can hold a value of T; you can create Box<Integer>, Box<String>, etc., and the compiler ensures you only put and retrieve the appropriate type. The other descriptions describe different concepts: a class designed for a single data type isn’t generic; a class that cannot be instantiated is usually abstract; and storing binary data describes the class’s content, not its ability to be used with multiple types.

A Generic Class enables type flexibility by introducing a placeholder for a data type. The class is written once, and the specific type is provided when you create an instance, giving you a strongly typed container that works with any data type. This reduces code duplication and catches type errors at compile time. For example, a container class Box can hold a value of T; you can create Box, Box, etc., and the compiler ensures you only put and retrieve the appropriate type. The other descriptions describe different concepts: a class designed for a single data type isn’t generic; a class that cannot be instantiated is usually abstract; and storing binary data describes the class’s content, not its ability to be used with multiple types.