Avoid casting in inherited java-classes

Question

I have a class:

class MyClass {

  public MyClass getParent() { ... }

  public MyClass[] getChildren() { ... }

  ....

}

and a subclass

Answer 1

Maybe using generics (http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/extra/generics/index.html)

You should have something like this:

public class MyClass {

    public T getParent() { return null; }

    public MyClass[] getChildren() {
        return null;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        MyClass o = new MySubClass();
        o.getParent().getId();
    }
}

class MySubClass extends MyClass {

    public String getId() {
        return "";
    }
}