casting - Java cast: Which is better -- the imperative or programmatic way? -

i have seen there 2 ways cast object in java:

list<object> l = new arraylist(); arraylist<object> first = (arraylist<object>) l; arraylist<object> second = arraylist.class.cast(l); 

which better , why?

the better method readable. if know class type cast, use (classtoupcast) object. if don't know class but have class<classtoupcast> clazz object, use clazz.cast(object).