Create instance of generic type in Java?

Question

Is it possible to create an instance of a generic type in Java? I\'m thinking based on what I\'ve seen that the answer is no (due to type erasure), but

Answer 1

package org.foo.com;

import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;

/**
 * Basically the same answer as noah's.
 */
public class Home
{

    @SuppressWarnings ("unchecked")
    public Class getTypeParameterClass()
    {
        Type type = getClass().getGenericSuperclass();
        ParameterizedType paramType = (ParameterizedType) type;
        return (Class) paramType.getActualTypeArguments()[0];
    }

    private static class StringHome extends Home
    {
    }

    private static class StringBuilderHome extends Home
    {
    }

    private static class StringBufferHome extends Home
    {
    }   

    /**
     * This prints "String", "StringBuilder" and "StringBuffer"
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) throws InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException
    {
        Object object0 = new StringHome().getTypeParameterClass().newInstance();
        Object object1 = new StringBuilderHome().getTypeParameterClass().newInstance();
        Object object2 = new StringBufferHome().getTypeParameterClass().newInstance();
        System.out.println(object0.getClass().getSimpleName());
        System.out.println(object1.getClass().getSimpleName());
        System.out.println(object2.getClass().getSimpleName());
    }

}