Question

Consider the following:

 public class GenericTest {
    static void print(int x) {
        System.out.println("Int: " + x);
    }
    static void print(String x) {
        System.out.println("String: " + x);
    }

    static void print(Object x) {
        System.out.println("Object: " + x);
    }

    static <T> void printWithClass(T t) {
        print(t);
    }
    public static void main(String argsp[]) {
        printWithClass("abc");
    }
}

It prints Object: abc.
Why doesn’t it print String: abc?

Answer 1

Java supports method overriding (dynamic type binding), but not what you are trying to achieve (overloading is static polymorphism and not dynamic).

In order to achieve what you want to achieve in Java, you need double dispatch.

Visitor Pattern should be your friend here.

I have written you a code sample.

public class Test {

    public static void main(String argsp[]) {
        PrintTypeImpl typeImpl = new PrintTypeImpl(new StringType(), new IntType(), new ObjectType());
        typeImpl.accept(new PrintVisitor());
    }

    static final class PrintVisitor implements TypeVisitor {
        public void visit(IntType x) {
            System.out.println("Int: ");
        }

        public void visit(StringType x) {
            System.out.println("String: ");
        }

        public void visit(ObjectType x) {
            System.out.println("Object: ");
        }
    }

    interface TypeVisitor {
        void visit(IntType i);

        void visit(StringType str);

        void visit(ObjectType obj);
    }

    interface PrintType {
        void accept(TypeVisitor visitor);
    }

    static class StringType implements PrintType {
        @Override
        public void accept(TypeVisitor visitor) {
            visitor.visit(this);
        }
    }

    static class ObjectType implements PrintType {
        @Override
        public void accept(TypeVisitor visitor) {
            visitor.visit(this);
        }
    }

    static class IntType implements PrintType {
        @Override
        public void accept(TypeVisitor visitor) {
            visitor.visit(this);
        }
    }

    static final class PrintTypeImpl implements PrintType {

        PrintType[] type;

        private PrintTypeImpl(PrintType... types) {
            type = types;
        }

        @Override
        public void accept(TypeVisitor visitor) {
            for (int i = 0; i < type.length; i++) {
                type[i].accept(visitor);
            }
        }
    }

}