[frje1400]

> You mention "var", why would we ever want in Java to hold a variable that you can't read immediately what is the type?

var items = new HashMap();

Instead of

HashMap items = new HashMap();

That's the point of var. It reduces noise a lot in some situations.

[vbezhenar]

You should write

    Map<String, Integer> items = new HashMap<>();

It allows you to limit `items` usage to `Map` supertype and allows you to swap implementation easily, if necessary. `var` is weird feature, because it allows people to use implementation-specific methods methods and tie code to a single implementation, essentially making it less agile.

There are valid use-cases for `var`, but IMO this feature should not have been added to the language, as it's too dangerous and most people won't use it responsibly.

[tombert]

Your example isn’t good though; var is only for local variables, which should be perfectly allowed to use implementation-specific methods.

For argument types you don’t have var, so methods that take in a map can stay abstract and you can still pass in the implementation-specific version into those without casting it to the interface.

ETA:

I guess I am trying to say that if you want to be abstract, they should be at the argument or properties level. Local variables should be used locally. I agree that generally speaking you should try and prefer using Map for anything shared across different parts of code but I am not convinced it’s bad to have var be implementation-specific; if your method is big enough to where swapping out implementations like this will take a lot of time, your method is probably too big anyway.

[pico303]

No, you shouldn't write that. Your variable should represent the complete implementation. Where you use it should be as generic as possible, for example, the parameter in a function call.

[jsnsndn]

While I do use `var` when appropriate, your example is in general not appropriate

You would like to use Map<Key, Value> items = new HashMap<>() since in general you do not want implementation detail leaking into contracts

[vips7L]

Using var there doesn’t leak any implementation details into any contracts. Var is for local variables inside of functions. There are no details or contracts there.