我喜欢来自@Bert F的答案，但这是我大脑看到的方式。

我手里有个X。如果我想把我的X写进一个列表，这个列表需要是一个X的列表，或者是一个我写X时可以向上转换的列表，即X的任何超类…

List<? super   X>

如果我得到一个列表，我想从这个列表中读取一个X，那最好是一个X的列表，或者是一个可以在我读取它们时向上转换为X的列表，即任何扩展X的东西

List<? extends X>

通用通配符针对两个主要需求:

从泛型集合读取 插入到泛型集合中 有三种使用通配符定义集合(变量)的方法。这些都是:

List<?>           listUknown = new ArrayList<A>();
List<? extends A> listUknown = new ArrayList<A>();
List<? super   A> listUknown = new ArrayList<A>();

列表< ?>表示输入未知类型的列表。这可以是一个列表< a >，一个列表<B>，一个列表<字符串>等。

列表< ?extends A>表示A类的实例或A的子类(例如B和C)的对象列表。 列表< ?super A>表示列表被输入到A类或A的超类。

阅读更多信息:http://tutorials.jenkov.com/java-generics/wildcards.html

使用只能从集合中获得的扩展。你不能投入进去。此外，虽然超级允许获取和放置，在获取期间的返回类型是?超级T。

这里最令人困惑的是，无论我们指定了什么类型限制，赋值只能以一种方式工作:

baseClassInstance = derivedClassInstance;

您可能认为Integer扩展了Number，并且Integer可以作为<?扩展数字>，但是编译器会告诉你<?extends Number>不能转换为Integer(也就是说，在人类的说法中，任何扩展Number的东西都可以转换为Integer是错误的):

class Holder<T> {
    T v;
    T get() { return v; }
    void set(T n) { v=n; }
}
class A {
    public static void main(String[]args) {
        Holder<? extends Number> he = new Holder();
        Holder<? super Number> hs = new Holder();

        Integer i;
        Number n;
        Object o;

        // Producer Super: always gives an error except
        //       when consumer expects just Object
        i = hs.get(); // <? super Number> cannot be converted to Integer
        n = hs.get(); // <? super Number> cannot be converted to Number
                      // <? super Number> cannot be converted to ... (but
                      //       there is no class between Number and Object)
        o = hs.get();

        // Consumer Super
        hs.set(i);
        hs.set(n);
        hs.set(o); // Object cannot be converted to <? super Number>

        // Producer Extends
        i = he.get(); // <? extends Number> cannot be converted to Integer
        n = he.get();
        o = he.get();

        // Consumer Extends: always gives an error
        he.set(i); // Integer cannot be converted to <? extends Number>
        he.set(n); // Number cannot be converted to <? extends Number>
        he.set(o); // Object cannot be converted to <? extends Number>
    }
}

hs.set(我);是可以的，因为Integer可以转换为Number的任何超类(而不是因为Integer是Number的超类，这不是真的)。

EDIT添加了一条关于消费者扩展和生产者超级的注释——它们没有意义，因为它们相应地指定了什么，而只是对象。建议您记住PECS，因为CEPS从来都没有用。

扩展

List<?数字> foo3意味着这些都是合法的赋值:

List<? extends Number> foo3 = new ArrayList<Number>();  // Number "extends" Number (in this context)
List<? extends Number> foo3 = new ArrayList<Integer>(); // Integer extends Number
List<? extends Number> foo3 = new ArrayList<Double>();  // Double extends Number

Reading - Given the above possible assignments, what type of object are you guaranteed to read from List foo3: You can read a Number because any of the lists that could be assigned to foo3 contain a Number or a subclass of Number. You can't read an Integer because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Double>. You can't read a Double because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Integer>. Writing - Given the above possible assignments, what type of object could you add to List foo3 that would be legal for all the above possible ArrayList assignments: You can't add an Integer because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Double>. You can't add a Double because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Integer>. You can't add a Number because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Integer>.

你不能向List<?extends t>因为你不能保证它真正指向的是什么样的List，所以你不能保证对象被允许在那个List中。唯一的“保证”是你只能读取它，你会得到一个T或T的子类。

超级

现在考虑List <?超级T >。

List<?super Integer> foo3表示这些都是合法的赋值:

List<? super Integer> foo3 = new ArrayList<Integer>();  // Integer is a "superclass" of Integer (in this context)
List<? super Integer> foo3 = new ArrayList<Number>();   // Number is a superclass of Integer
List<? super Integer> foo3 = new ArrayList<Object>();   // Object is a superclass of Integer

Reading - Given the above possible assignments, what type of object are you guaranteed to receive when you read from List foo3: You aren't guaranteed an Integer because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Number> or List<Object>. You aren't guaranteed a Number because foo3 could be pointing at a List<Object>. The only guarantee is that you will get an instance of an Object or subclass of Object (but you don't know what subclass). Writing - Given the above possible assignments, what type of object could you add to List foo3 that would be legal for all the above possible ArrayList assignments: You can add an Integer because an Integer is allowed in any of above lists. You can add an instance of a subclass of Integer because an instance of a subclass of Integer is allowed in any of the above lists. You can't add a Double because foo3 could be pointing at an ArrayList<Integer>. You can't add a Number because foo3 could be pointing at an ArrayList<Integer>. You can't add an Object because foo3 could be pointing at an ArrayList<Integer>.

PECS

记住PECS:“生产者延伸，消费者至上”。

"Producer Extends" - If you need a List to produce T values (you want to read Ts from the list), you need to declare it with ? extends T, e.g. List<? extends Integer>. But you cannot add to this list. "Consumer Super" - If you need a List to consume T values (you want to write Ts into the list), you need to declare it with ? super T, e.g. List<? super Integer>. But there are no guarantees what type of object you may read from this list. If you need to both read from and write to a list, you need to declare it exactly with no wildcards, e.g. List<Integer>.

例子

请注意这个来自Java泛型常见问题解答的例子。注意源列表src(生产列表)如何使用extends，而目标列表dest(消费列表)如何使用super:

public class Collections { 
  public static <T> void copy(List<? super T> dest, List<? extends T> src) {
      for (int i = 0; i < src.size(); i++) 
        dest.set(i, src.get(i)); 
  } 
}

也看到 如何添加到List<?extends数字>数据结构?

你可以通过上面所有的答案来理解为什么.add()被限制为'<?>”、“< ?扩展>'，部分扩展到'<?超级>”。

但如果你想记住它，而不想每次都去探索答案，这里是所有问题的结论:

列表< ?extends A>表示它将接受A的任何List和A的子类。 但是你不能在这个列表中添加任何东西。甚至不是A类型的对象。

列表< ?super A>表示它将接受A的任何列表和A的超类。 您可以添加类型A的对象及其子类。