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jabrenajabrena/cursor-rules-java/skills/128-java-generics/SKILL.md

128-java-generics

Skill452 starsChanged 3 months agoApache-2.0View on GitHub

Use when you need to review, improve, or refactor Java code for generics quality — including avoiding raw types, applying the PECS (Producer Extends Consumer Super) principle for wildcards, using bounded type parameters, designing effective generic methods, leveraging the diamond operator, understanding type erasure implications, handling generic inheritance correctly, preventing heap pollution with @SafeVarargs, and integrating generics with modern Java features like Records, sealed types, and pattern matching. This should trigger for requests such as Improve the code with Generics; Apply Generics; Refactor the code with Generics; Improve generic type safety in Java APIs; Fix raw types and unchecked casts in Java code. Part of Plinth Toolkit

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

10 rules. About 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 5 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈5

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 5

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Before applying any generics changes, ensure the project compiles.

    line 32
  2. Very specific:

    MANDATORY: Run ./mvnw compile or mvn compile before applying any change

    line 34
  3. Distinctive:

    SAFETY: If compilation fails, stop immediately and do not proceed — compilation failure is a blocking condition

    line 35
  4. Very specific:

    VERIFY: Run ./mvnw clean verify or mvn clean verify after applying improvements

    line 36
  5. Distinctive:

    BEFORE APPLYING: Read the reference for detailed examples, good/bad patterns, and constraints

    line 37
  6. Distinctive:

    EDGE CASE: If request scope is ambiguous, stop and ask a clarifying question before applying changes

    line 38
  7. Distinctive:

    EDGE CASE: If required inputs, files, or tooling are missing, report what is missing and ask whether to proceed with setup guidance

    line 39
  8. Very specific:

    Run ./mvnw compile or mvn compile and stop immediately if compilation fails.

    line 53
  9. Very specific:

    Read references/128-java-generics.md and identify raw types, unsafe casts, wildcard misuse, and API variance opportunities.

    line 57
  10. Very specific:

    Run ./mvnw clean verify or mvn clean verify after applying improvements.

    line 65

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 308,232 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Java Generics Best Practices

Review and improve Java code using comprehensive generics best practices that enforce compile-time type safety and enable flexible, reusable APIs.

What is covered in this Skill?

  • Type safety: avoiding raw types, eliminating unsafe casts
  • Code reusability: generic methods and types for multiple type contexts
  • PECS wildcards: ? extends for producers, ? super for consumers
  • Diamond operator for type inference
  • Type erasure awareness: type tokens, factory patterns, array creation
  • Generic inheritance and variance: invariance, covariance, contravariance
  • @SafeVarargs for heap pollution prevention
  • Wildcard capture helpers, self-bounded generics (CRTP) for fluent builders
  • Proper wildcard API design: Comparator<? super T>, Function<? super T, ? extends R>
  • Arrays-vs-generics covariance pitfalls, serialization with TypeReference/TypeToken
  • Generic naming conventions (T, E, K/V, ?), typesafe heterogeneous containers
  • Integration with Records, sealed types, and pattern matching

Scope: The reference is organized by examples (good/bad code patterns) for each core area. Apply recommendations based on applicable examples.

Constraints

Before applying any generics changes, ensure the project compiles. If compilation fails, stop immediately — do not proceed until resolved. After applying improvements, run full verification.

  • MANDATORY: Run ./mvnw compile or mvn compile before applying any change
  • SAFETY: If compilation fails, stop immediately and do not proceed — compilation failure is a blocking condition
  • VERIFY: Run ./mvnw clean verify or mvn clean verify after applying improvements
  • BEFORE APPLYING: Read the reference for detailed examples, good/bad patterns, and constraints
  • EDGE CASE: If request scope is ambiguous, stop and ask a clarifying question before applying changes
  • EDGE CASE: If required inputs, files, or tooling are missing, report what is missing and ask whether to proceed with setup guidance

When to use this skill

  • Improve the code with Generics
  • Apply Generics
  • Refactor the code with Generics
  • Improve generic type safety in Java APIs
  • Fix raw types and unchecked casts in Java code

Workflow

  1. Compile project before generics changes

Run ./mvnw compile or mvn compile and stop immediately if compilation fails.

  1. Read generics reference and assess type safety

Read references/128-java-generics.md and identify raw types, unsafe casts, wildcard misuse, and API variance opportunities.

  1. Apply generics refactorings

Implement selected generic type and API improvements while preserving behavior.

  1. Verify with full build

Run ./mvnw clean verify or mvn clean verify after applying improvements.

Reference

For detailed guidance, examples, and constraints, see references/128-java-generics.md.

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