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Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up their interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?

Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up their interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?

Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up their interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?

Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up their interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?

Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up there interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?

Looking through the Java Collections Framework, I've noticed quite a few of the interfaces have the comment (optional operation). These methods allow implementing classes to through an UnsupportedOperationException if they just don't want to implement that method.

An example of this is the addAll method in the Set Interface.

Now, as stated in this series of questions, interfaces are a defining contract for what the use can expect.

Interfaces are important because they separate what a class does from how it does it. The contract defining what a client can expect leaves the developer free to implement it any way they choose, as long as they uphold the contract.

and

An interface is a description of the actions that an object can do... for example when you flip a light switch, the light goes on, you don't care how, just that it does. In Object Oriented Programming, an Interface is a description of all functions that an object must have in order to be an "X".

and

I think the interface-based approach is significantly nicer. You can then mock out your dependencies nicely, and everything is basically less tightly coupled.

What is the point of an interface?

What are interfaces?

Interface + Extension (mixin) vs Base Class

Given that the purpose of interfaces is to define a contract and make your dependencies loosely coupled, doesn't having some methods throw an UnsupportedOperationException kind of defeat the purpose? It means I can no longer be passed a Set and just use addAll. Rather, I have to know what implementation of Set I was passed, so I can know if I can use addAll or not. That seems pretty worthless to me.

So what's the point of UnsupportedOperationException? Is it just making up for legacy code, and they need to clean up their interfaces? Or does it have a more sensical purpose that I'm missing?