title: Java Class Type
body: <p>I have a block of code that works and I wanted to ask what exactly is happening here?</p>
  
  <pre><code>Class&lt;?&gt; normalFormClass = null;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>---added---</p>
  
  <p>The wildcard "<code>&lt;?&gt;</code>" is the part that is confusing for me.  Why would this be used rather than not using it (generics)?</p>