Term over-type structure = a data structure that accepts different types, can be primitive or user-defined.

I think ruby supports many types in structures such as tables. I tried a table with types 'String', 'char' and 'File' in Java but errs.

1. How can I have over-typed structure in Java?

2. How to show types in declaration? What about in initilization? Suppose a structure:

         INDEX    VAR      FILETYPE
           //0 -> file     FILE
           //1 -> lineMap  SizeSequence
           //2 -> type     char
           //3 -> binary   boolean
           //4 -> name     String
           //5 -> path     String
   

Code

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class Object
{
        public static void print(char a)
        {
                System.out.println(a);
        }
        public static void print(String s)
        {
                System.out.println(s);
        }

        public static void main(String[] args)
        {
                Object[] d = new Object[6];
                d[0] = new File(".");
                d[2] = 'T';
                d[4] = ".";

                print(d[2]);
                print(d[4]);
        }
}

Errors

Object.java:18: incompatible types
found   : java.io.File
required: Object
        d[0] = new File(".");
               ^
Object.java:19: incompatible types
found   : char
required: Object
        d[2] = 'T';
               ^