java - Comparable type Sorting in a Vector int or String -

in trying sort out intv , stringv using getsmallestvalue method. tried different ideas not seems working. have bright ideas how implement getsmallestvalue method?

public class test {      public static comparable getsmallestvalue(vector<comparable> a) {         comparator com = collections.reverseorder();         collections.sort(a, com);         return (comparable) a;     }      public static void main(string[] args) {         vector<comparable> intv = new vector<comparable>();         intv.add(new integer(-1));         intv.add(new integer(56));         intv.add(new integer(-100));         int smallestint = (integer) getsmallestvalue(intv);          system.out.println(smallestint);          vector<comparable> stringv = new vector<comparable>();         stringv.add("testing");         stringv.add("pti");         stringv.add("semestergoes");         string smalleststring = (string) getsmallestvalue(stringv);          system.out.println(smalleststring);     } } 

welcome stackoverflow.

your basic problem have tried turn vector integer cannot do.

what more useful use first element of vector.

i suggest

• use list instead of vector.
• i wouldn't use manual wrapping
• define getsmallestvalue using generics avoid confusion.

here 2 ways implement method.

public static <n extends comparable<n>> n getsmallestvalue(list<n> a) {     collections.sort(a);     return a.get(0); }  public static <n extends comparable<n>> n getsmallestvalue2(list<n> a) {     return collections.min(a); }  list<integer> ints = arrays.aslist(-1, 56, -100); int min = getsmallestvalue(ints); // or int min = collections.min(ints);