In this article, Piet Jonas demonstrates a framework that overcomes the standard Java Collections Framework's main problem: its containers lack the ability to restrict themselves to storing objects of a specific type. The solution uses reflection, wrapper classes, and a collection of static factory methods to easily add the type-safe property to the existing container interface implementations. (2,000 words)
The Java Collections Framework has been a standard part of the Java core libraries since the Java 2 Platform's birth. We look at some recent changes and other options available, such as the Jakarta Commons Collections and the updated Java Generic Library (JGL) from Recursion Software that build off the Java Collections Framework. (2,500 words; November 1, 2002)
4. The battle of the container frameworks: which should you use?
There's a quiet battle going on in Java land. Sun is introducing a brand new container framework into the Java 2 platform (formerly known as JDK 1.2), called the Collections Framework, which encroaches on territory currently held by ObjectSpace Inc.'s JGL -- The Generic Collection Library for Java. This article looks at both frameworks side by side to help you determine which option will best serve your needs.
5. Answers for LinkedList and outer/inner class questions
Just when you thought you had Java well in hand, Sun goes and adds more goodies to the package. The Java Collections Framework, standard in JDK 1.2 and available for Java 1.1, offers developers a common way to implement and access collections. Java developer Dan Becker examines this new framework, detailing the basic concrete implementations and the general-purpose methods for sorting and manipulating collections. (2,900 words)
