When reading GData source code, you will find that there are lots of generic-style code in it, which is one of several extensions of JDK 1.5. If you are using java 1.5 compiler, it is surely deserved to get some ideas about generic. Be noticed that Java generic looks like C++ Temple, but is quite different.

1. what is the idea of generic?
To simply say, generic is an idea of parameterizing type, including class type and other data types.

2. examples?
-- We are familar with some container types, such as Collection. Here is an example for our former (Java 1.4 or before) typical usage:
Vector myList = new Vector();
myList.add(new Integer(100));
Integer value = (Integer)myList.get(0);

now it is better to write like this for type safety: (Eclipse IDE will display type safety warnings for above code if under java 1.5 compiler option)
  Vector<Integer> myList = new Vector<Integer>();
  myList.add(new Integer(100));
  Integer value = myList.get(0);

-- the reason why write code like this is Class Vector has been defined as a generic:
public Class Vector<E>
{
      void add(E x);
      ......
}

-- when we see some angle brackets(invocations) shown in declaration, that is a generic. The invocation is a parameterized type. to use this generic, we need specify an actual type argument. (such as Integer as above)

3. trick in generic

-- we know that the idea of generic makes some data type such as container more flexible or acceptable for inputting entries. But that will be also very tricky. To take container as an example of generic, one of tricks is can we copy values from one container to another container? if you want to copy like following style, the answer is no.
List<String> ls = new ArrayList<String>();
List<Object> lo = ls; //compile time error!

-- though we know String is a subtype of Object, and we can assign a value of String to an Object. But we can not assign a List of String to a List of Object as a whole part(like reference to a variable). The reason is we can access inner part of List(I mean element here, if List is as a simple data type such as Object, maybe we can do that), that will make List type unsafe. So, Java 1.5 complier will not let you do that.

-- Look inside two styles of code in above examples(of 2), we might say that the older style looks more flexible, because myList can accept more data types besides Integer, but the new style in 1.5 can only take Integer values. Well, if we need more flexible, we apply wildcards for generic.

4. Wildcards and bounded wildcards

-- if we see something like Collection<?> c, there is a question mark in angle brackets. That is Wildcard, which means type is temporarily unknown but it will be replaced by any type.
-- if we see something like Collection<? extends Number> c, that is bounded wildcard, which means the elements in Collection has a supertype bound. You can not put any other type whose supertype is not Number into this Collection.
-- But, no matter wildcard or bounded wildcard, we can not put a specified type value in it, that is because wildcard means type is unknown, you can not give a value to unknown data type.
-- So, what hell can wildcard be used for ? return back the flexible idea we mentioned before. We need apply wildcard to describe a flexible idea in definition or declaration, not to do real things.
for example, we can define an method like this:
void printCollection(Collection<?> c)
{
      for(Object e : c){System.out.println(e);}
}
see? that is flexible. You can call this function for any Collection. You can use elements in Collection<?>, just don't try to put something in it.
-- So the question is, if we wanna that flexibility for our method, and we also need put something in it during the subroutine. How can we do? and then, we need use generic method

5. Generic method
-- that means method declaration can also be parameterized.
-- example:
    public <T> void addCollection(List<T> objs, T obj)
   {
        objs.add(obj);
    }

6. when to use generic method and when to use wildcard ?
-- if the type parameter is used only once, or it has no relationship to other arguments of method including the return type, then wildcard is better to use to decribe clearer and more concise meanings.
-- otherwise, generic method should be used.
example:
class Collection
{
      public static <T, S extends T> void copy(List<T> dest, List<S> src){...}
}
can be better rewritten as :
class Collection
{
      public static <T> void copy(List<T> dest, List<? extends T> src){...}
}

reference: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5/pdf/generics-tutorial.pdf