List<E>.remove(Object? value) should use type `E` instead of Object?

[drxddy]

Since List<E> is a generic, where each list element is an object in it will adhere to type E,

Proposing a generic remove method to make the api more type safe, open to hear about why it was kept this way, and why, if it's better.

abstract class List<E> {
  /// proposal
  bool remove(E? value);

  /// instead of
  bool remove(Object? value);
}

• Observed that indexOf(E element, [int start = 0]) is generic and expects the same type E element as in List<E>
• Also noticed that contains(Object? value) also uses Object? param

Why is it better to use Object? instead of E?

[FMorschel]

CC @lrhn

[lrhn]

There are lots of prior issues for this.
The design is made the way it is to allow an up-cast collection to work.
Changing it now, even if we wanted to, would be breaking, and unlikely to be worth that breakage.

Still no plan to change it.