C++ has the key word <template>.Do Java have something alike?

I am learning Java,but I happened to read a book about C++.I find in
C++,you can use <template T>.
e.g.
<template T>
void swap(T a,T b)
{
T temp=a;
a=b;
b=a;
}
T can be char,int ect.
So whatever I want to swap int or char or something else,I only need to
write the codes once.
Can Java do this?

Hi,

Genericity (template classes) was just added in the new
java version J2SE 5.0

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs...s.html#generics

HTH
Regards,
Giovanni

<iherage@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1117636888.757651.187950@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>I am learning Java,but I happened to read a book about C++.I find in
> C++,you can use <template T>.
> e.g.
> <template T>
> void swap(T a,T b)
> {
>    T temp=a;
>      a=b;
>      b=a;
> }
> T can be char,int ect.
> So whatever I want to swap int or char or something else,I only need to
> write the codes once.
> Can Java do this?
>

Giovanni Azua wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Genericity (template classes) was just added in the new
> java version J2SE 5.0
>
> http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs...s.html#generics
>
> HTH
> Regards,
> Giovanni
>
> <iherage@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1117636888.757651.187950@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> 

This will only do what you wanted if you make those reference parameters
as in swap( T &a, T &b )
 

As Giovanni noted generics were added in JDK 1.5, but generics are not
the same as C++ templates and will not work with the primitive types.
 

The swap method also depends on pass by reference which is something
that Java does not support (thank goodness).

--
Dale King