Session 6 – Multithreading & Collection Framework

Java Multithreading
Q1. What is a thread?

Thread is a lightweight subprocess. Thread class belongs to java.lang package.Threads have

their own stack.It's a way to take advantage of multiple cpu available in a machine. For example, if
one thread takes 50 milliseconds to do a job, you can use 10 threads to reduce that task to 5
milliseconds.

Q2 What is the difference between Thread and Process?

A process can have many threads. Threads can execute any part of process.And same part of Process
can be executed by multiple threads.

Processes have their own address while Thread share the address space of the process that created it.

Thread has its own stack while in process all threads share a common system resource like heap
memory.

Q3 What are the ways to implement Thread in java?

There are two ways to implement Thread in java.

1. By implementing Runnable interface in java and then creating Thread object from it.
2. By extending the Thread class.

Q4 What are the differences between implementing Runnable and extending Thread while
creating a thread in java? Which one is better?

Implementing Runnable is better.

When we implement Runnable interface we can extend any other class as well but if we extends
Thread class we can not extends any other class because java does not allow multiple inheritance.

You can find here the detailed answer of difference between implementing Runnable and extends
Thread.

Q5 What is a life cycle of a thread?

When we create a Thread instance in a java program, then its state is new. Then we start the Thread,
then it's state changes to Runnable(ready to run but not running yet).Execution of Threads depends
upon ThreadScheduler. ThreadScheduler is responsible to allocate CPUs to threads in Runnable
thread pool and change their state to Running.Waiting,Blocked and Dead are the remaining states of
the Thread.

So in short new,runnable,running.waiting,blocked and dead are the states a Thread can be in.

Q6 What is the difference between sleep and wait method in java?

Wait method releases the lock while sleep method doesn't release the lock.
Wait method belongs to java.lang.Object class while sleep method belongs to java.lang.Thread class.

You can find the detailed answer here difference between wait and sleep method in java.

Q7 What is the difference between starting a thread with start() method and run() method?

This question is a bit tricky and might confuse you as well. The answer is when you call start()
method, main method internally calls run() method to start newly created Thread, so run method is
ultimately called by newly created Thread.
When you call run() method, its called in the same thread, no new thread is started which is the case
when you call start() method.

Q8 What is the difference between user thread and daemon thread?

When we create a thread in java program, then it is called as user thread. We can not make a user
thread to daemon thread if a thread is started.

The daemon threads are the low priority threads that provide the background support to the user
threads.It provides services to the user threads. A child thread created from a daemon thread is also a
daemon thread.

Q9 How to create a Daemon thread in java?

By setting the setDaemon(true) , we can create a daemon thread in java.

Q10 What is the significance of using volatile keyword?

When we make a variable volatile, then all the threads reads its value directly from the memory and
don't cache it. This make sure the shared variables are consistently updated.

volatile is a keyword that can only be used with variables.

Q11 Is it possible to start a thread twice?

No, there is no possibility to start a thread twice. If we do so , then it will throw an Exception.

Q12 What is synchronization?

Synchronization is the capability to control the access of multiple threads to any shared resource.
The main advantage of synchronization is
a. to avoid consistency problem
b. to avoid thread interference

Q13 Which is more preferred - synchronization block or synchronization method?

Synchronized block is the more preferred way because it doesn't lock the object while synchronized
methods lock the object. Synchronized method will stop multiple synchronized blocks in the class,
even though they are not related, from the execution and put them in the wait state to get the lock on
the object.
Q14 Difference and similarities between sleep and yield method?

Sleep method throws the interrupted exception if another thread interrupts the sleeping thread while
yield method does not throw the interrupted exception.

Thread.sleep() method does not cause currently executing thread to give up monitors while yield
method gives up the monitor.
You can find detailed explanation of difference between sleep and yield method in java.

Q15 What is deadlock?

Deadlock is a situation where two threads are waiting for each other to release locks holded by them
on resources.For example

Thread 1 : locks resource A, waits for resource B

Thread 2 : locks resource B, waits for resource A

Q16 Write a program to create a Deadlock in java?

You can find the answer here Program to create a deadlock in java.

Q17 What measures you should take to avoid deadlock?

1. Lock specific member variables of the class rather than locking whole class.
2. Use join() method, if possible try to use join method ,although it may refrain us from taking full
advantage of multithreading environment because threads will start and end sequentially, but it can be
handy in avoiding deadlocks.
3. If possible try to avoid nested synchronization blocks.

Q18 What do you understand by Thread priority?

Every thread has a priority. Its value is int which ranges from 1 to 10 where 1 being the lowest
priority and 10 being the highest priority.
Usually higher priority threads get higher precedence in execution but it depends on the
ThreadScheduler implementation which is OS dependent.
We can specify the priority of thread but it does not guarantee that higher priority thread will get
executed before the lower priority thread.

Q19 What is the difference between class lock and object lock?

Threads can acquire object lock by entering synchronized methods.Threads can acquire lock on class's
class object by entering the static synchronized methods.

Multiple objects of class may exist and every Object has its own lock.In class lock multiple objects
of class may exist but there is always one class's class object lock available.

Q20 What is the difference between Callable and Runnable?

Callable throws checked exception while Runnable does not throw checked exception.
Return type of Runnable is void that is it does not return any value while Callable can return a Future
object.
You can find the detailed explanation of difference between callable and runnable.

Q21 What is the difference between time slicing and preemptive scheduling?

In preemptive scheduling the higher priority task executes until it enters the waiting or dead states or
higher priority task comes into existence. In time slicing, a task runs for a predefined slice of time and
then reenters the pool of ready tasks.

Q22 Can a constructor be synchronized?

No, Constructor can not be synchronized.

Q23 What is race condition in java and how we can solve it?

When more than one thread try to access same resource without synchronization causes race
condition.
We can solve race condition by using a synchronized block or synchronized method.

Q24 How threads communicate with each other?

Threads can communicate with each other using wait(), notify(), notifyAll() methods.

Q25 Why wait(), notify() and notifyAll() method have to be called from the synchronized
context?

When a Thread calls wait() on any Object, it must have the monitor on Object that it will leave and
goes in wait state until any other Thread call notify() on this Object. Similarly when a thread calls
notify() on any Object, it leaves the monitor on the Object and other waiting threads can get the
monitor on the Object. Since all these threads require Thread to have a Object monitor,that can be
achieved only by synchronization.That is why wait(),notify() and notifyAll() method have to be called
from the synchronized context.

Q26 What is ThreadLocal variable in java?

ThreadLocal can be used to create ThreadLocal variables. We know that all threads of an Object
shares its variables.So if the variable is not thread safe then we can use synchronization. If we want to
avoid synchronization then we can use ThreadLocal variables.
Each thread has its own ThreadLocal variable and they can use it's get() and set() methods to get the
default value or change its value local to Thread.

Q27 What is Threadpool?

Threadpool manages the pool of worker threads. There is a queue in which the tasks are keep waiting
for execution.

Q28 Can you find whether thread holds lock() on an object or not?

holdsLock(Object) method can be used to determine whether current thread holds the lock on monitor
of specified object.
The method holdsLock(Object) returns true if the thread holds lock or monitor of the specified object.
 Java Collection Framework
Q1 What is Collection? What is a Collections Framework? What are the benefits of the Java
Collections Framework?

Collection : A collection (also called a container) is an object that groups multiple elements into a
single unit.

Collections Framework : Collections framework provides a unified architecture for manipulating

and representing collections.

Benefits of Collections Framework :

1. Improves program quality and speed

2. Increases the chances of reusability of software
3. Decreases programming effort.

Q2 What is the root interface in the collection hierarchy?

The root interface in the collection hierarchy is the Collection interface. Few interviewers may argue
that
the Collection interface extends the Iterable interface. So iterable should be the root interface. But
you should reply iterable interface present in java.lang package not in java.util package. It is clearly
mentioned in Oracle Collection docs, that Collection interface is a member of the Java Collections
framework. For the Iterable interface Oracle doc, the iterable interface is not mentioned as a part of
the Java Collections framework. So if the question includes collection hierarchy, then you should
answer the question as Collection interface (which is found in java.util package).

Q3 What is the difference between Collection and Collections?

The Collection is an interface while Collections is a java class, both are present in java.util package
and part of the java collections framework. (answer)

Q4 Which collection classes are synchronized or thread-safe?

Stack, Properties, Vector, and Hashtable can be used in a multi-threaded environment because they
are synchronized classes (or thread-safe).

Q5 Name the core Collection interfaces?

 source of image : By Ervinn at en.wikibooks [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from
Wikimedia Commons

The list of core collection interfaces are : just mention the important ones

Important : Collection , Set , Queue , List , Map

Other interfaces also on the list : SortedSet, SortedMap, Deque, ListIterator, etc.

Q6 What is the difference between List and Set?

Set contains only unique elements while List can contain duplicate elements.
Set is unordered while the List is ordered. List maintains the order in which the objects are added.

Q7 What is the difference between Map and Set?

Map object has unique keys each containing some value, while Set contains only unique values.

Q8 What are the classes implementing List and Set interface?

Class implementing List interface : ArrayList, Vector, LinkedList

Class implementing Set interface : HashSet, TreeSet

Q9 What is an iterator?

The Iterator is an interface. It is found in java.util package. It provides methods to iterate over any
Collection.

Q10 What is the difference between Iterator and Enumeration?

The main difference between Iterator and Enumeration is that Iterator has remove() method while
Enumeration doesn't.
Hence, using Iterator we can manipulate objects by adding and removing the objects from the
collections. Enumeration behaves like a read-only interface as it can only traverse the objects and
fetch it.

Q11 Which design pattern followed by Iterator?

It follows the iterator design pattern. An iterator design pattern provides us to navigate through the
collection of objects by using a common interface without letting us know about the underlying
implementation.

Enumeration is an example of an Iterator design pattern.

Q12 Which methods you need to override to use any object as a key in HashMap?

To use any object as a key in HashMap, it needs to implement equals() and hashCode() method.

Q13 What is the difference between Queue and Stack?

The Queue is a data structure that is based on FIFO ( first in first out ) property. An example of a
Queue in the real-world is buying movie tickets in the multiplex or cinema theaters.

The Stack is a data structure that is based on LIFO (last in first out) property. An example of Stack in
the real-world is the insertion or removal of CD from the CD case.

Q14 How to reverse the List in Collections?

There is a built-in reverse method in the Collections class. reverse(List list) accepts the list as a
parameter.

Collections.reverse(listobject);

Q15 How to convert the array of strings into the list?

Arrays class of java.util package contains the method asList() which accepts the array as a parameter.
So,
String[] wordArray = {"Love Yourself" , "Alive is Awesome" , "Be in present"};
List wordList = Arrays.asList(wordArray);

Intermediate Level (1-3 yrs): Java Collections Interview Questions and Answers

Q16 What is the difference between ArrayList and Vector?

It is one of the frequently asked collection interview questions, the main differences are
Vector is synchronized while ArrayList is not. Vector is slow while ArrayList is fast. Every time
when needed, Vector increases the capacity twice of its initial size while ArrayList increases its Array
size by 50%. find detailed explanation ArrayList vs Vector.

Q17 What is the difference between HashMap and Hashtable?

It is one of the most popular collections interview questions for java developers. Make sure you go
through this once before appearing for the interview.
Main differences between HashMap and Hashtable are :

a. HashMap allows one null key and any number of null values while Hashtable does not allow null
keys and null values.
b. HashMap is not synchronized or thread-safe while Hashtable is synchronized or thread-safe.
find a detailed explanation here Hashtable vs HashMap in Java

Q18 What is the difference between peek(), poll() and remove() method of the Queue interface?

Both poll() and remove() method are used to remove the head object of the Queue. The main
difference lies when the Queue is empty().
If the Queue is empty then the poll() method will return null. While in similar case , remove() method
will throw NoSuchElementException .
peek() method retrieves but does not remove the head of the Queue. If the queue is empty then the
peek() method also returns null.

Q19 What is the difference between Iterator and ListIterator.

Using Iterator we can traverse the list of objects in the forward direction. But ListIterator can traverse
the collection in both directions that are forward as well as backward.

Q20 What is the difference between Array and ArrayList in Java?

This question checks whether the student understands the concept of the static and dynamic array.
Some main differences between Array and ArrayList are :
a. Array is static in size while ArrayList is dynamic in size.
b. Array can contain primitive data types while ArrayList can not contain primitive data types.
find detailed explanation ArrayList vs Array in Java

Q21 What is the difference between HashSet and TreeSet?

Main differences between HashSet and TreeSet are :

a. HashSet maintains the inserted elements in random order while TreeSet maintains elements in the
sorted order
b. HashSet can store the null object while TreeSet can not store the null object.
find a detailed explanation here TreeSet vs HashSet in Java
Q22 Write java code showing insertion, deletion, and retrieval of HashMap object?

Do it yourself (DIY), if found any difficulty or doubts then please mention in the comments.

Q23 What is the difference between HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap?

This is also one of the most popular java collections interview questions. Make sure this question is in
your to-do list before appearing for the interview.
Main differences between HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap are :
a. HashMap is not synchronized while ConcurrentHashMap is synchronized.
b. HashMap can have one null key and any number of null values while ConcurrentHashMap does not
allow null keys and null values.
find a detailed explanation here ConcurrentHashMap vs HashMap in Java

Q24 Arrange the following in the ascending order (performance):

HashMap, Hashtable, ConcurrentHashMap, and Collections.SynchronizedMap

Hashtable < Collections.SynchronizedMap < ConcurrentHashMap < HashMap

Q25 How HashMap works in Java?

This is one of the most important questions for java developers. HashMap works on the principle of
Hashing. Find detailed information here to understand what is hashing and how hashmap works in
java.

Q26 What is the difference between LinkedList and ArrayList in Java?

Main differences between LinkedList and ArrayList are :

a. LinkedList is the doubly linked list implementation of the List interface, while , ArrayList is the
resizable array implementation of the List interface.
b. LinkedList can be traversed in the reverse direction using the descendingIterator() method provided
by the Java API developers, while , we need to implement our own method to traverse ArrayList in
the reverse direction. find the detailed explanation here ArrayList vs LinkedList in java.

Q27 What are Comparable and Comparator interfaces? List the difference between them?

We already explained what is comparable and comparator interface in detail along with examples
here, Comparable vs Comparator in Java

Q28 Why Map interface does not extend the Collection interface in Java Collections
Framework?

One liner answer : Map interface is not compatible with the Collection interface.
Explanation : Since Map requires a key as well as value, for example, if we want to add key-value
pair then we will use put(Object key, Object value). So there are two parameters required to add an
element to the HashMap object. In Collection interface add(Object o) has only one parameter.
The other reasons are Map supports valueSet, keySet as well as other appropriate methods which have
just different views from the Collection interface.

Q29 When to use ArrayList and LinkedList in the application?

ArrayList has a constant time search operation O(1). Hence, ArrayList is preferred when there are
more get() or search operation.
Insertion, Deletion operations take constant time O(1) for LinkedList. Hence, LinkedList is preferred
when there are more insertions or deletions involved in the application.

Q30 Write the code for iterating the list in different ways in java?

There are two ways to iterate over the list in java :

a. using Iterator
b. using for-each loop

Coding part : Do it yourself (DIY), in case of any doubts or difficulty please mention in the
comments.

Q31 Give a practical example of BlockingQueue?

BlockingQueue can be used in the Producer-Consumer design pattern. You can find a detailed
explanation with code here.

Q32 What is the default capacity of mostly used java collections (like ArrayList and HashMap)?

Make sure you understand the difference between the terms size and capacity.
Size represents the number of elements stored currently. Capacity indicates the maximum number of
elements a collection can hold currently.

Default capacity of ArrayList : 10

Default capacity of HashMap : 16

Advance Level (3+ yrs): Java Collections Interview Questions and Answers

Q33 How HashSet works internally in java?

This is one of the popular interview questions. HashSet internally uses HashMap to maintain the
uniqueness of elements. We have already discussed in detail hashset internal working in java.

Q34 What is CopyOnWriteArrayList? How it is different from ArrayList in Java?

CopyOnWriteArrayList is a thread-safe variant of ArrayList in which all mutative operations like add,
set are implemented by creating a fresh copy of the underlying array.
It guaranteed not to throw ConcurrentModificationException.
It permits all elements including null. It is introduced in JDK 1.5.

Q35 How HashMap works in Java?

We are repeating this question, as it is one of the most important question for java
developer.HashMap works on the principle of Hashing. Please find the detailed answer here hashmap
internal working in java.

Q36 How remove(key) method works in HashMap?

This is the new question which is getting popular among java interviewers. We have shared a detailed
explanation here about how remove method works internally in java.
Q37 What is BlockingQueue in Java Collections Framework?

BlockingQueue implements the java.util.Queue interface. BlockingQueue supports operations that

wait for the queue to become non-empty when retrieving an element, and wait for space to become
available in the queue when storing an element.
It does not accept null elements.
Blocking queues are primarily designed for producer-consumer problems.
BlockingQueue implementations are thread-safe and can also be used in inter-thread communications.
This concurrent Collection class was added in JDK 1.5

Q38 How TreeMap works in Java?

TreeMap internally uses a Red-Black tree to sort the elements in a natural order. Please find the
detailed answers here internal implementation of TreeMap in java.

Q39 All the questions related to HashSet class can be found here frequently asked HashSet
interview questions

Q40 What is the difference between Fail- fast iterator and Fail-safe iterator?

This is one of the most popular interview questions for the higher experienced java developers.
Main differences between Fail-fast and Fail-safe iterators are :
a. Fail-fast throws ConcurrentModificationException while Fail-safe does not.
b. Fail-fast does not clone the original collection list of objects while Fail-safe creates a copy of the
original collection list of objects.
The difference is explained in detail here fail-safe vs fail-fast iterator in java.

Q41 How ConcurrentHashMap works internally in Java?

The detailed answer is already explained here internal implementation of ConcurrentHashMap

Q42 How do you use a custom object as a key in Collection classes like HashMap?

If one is using the custom object as a key then one needs to override equals() and hashCode() method
and one also needs to fulfill the contract.
If you want to store the custom object in the SortedCollections like SortedMap then one needs to
make sure that equals() method is consistent with the compareTo() method. If inconsistent, then the
collection will not follow their contracts, that is, Sets may allow duplicate elements.

Q43 What is hash-collision in Hashtable? How it was handled in Java?

In Hashtable, if two different keys have the same hash value then it leads to hash -collision. A bucket
of type linkedlist used to hold the different keys of same hash value.

Q44 Explain the importance of hashCode() and equals() method ? Explain the contract also?

HashMap object uses a Key object hashCode() method and equals() method to find out the index to
put the key-value pair. If we want to get value from the HashMap same both methods are used.
Somehow, if both methods are not implemented correctly, it will result in two keys producing the
same hashCode() and equals() output. The problem will arise that HashMap will treat both outputs the
same instead of different and overwrite the most recent key-value pair with the previous key-value
pair.
Similarly, all the collection classes that do not allow the duplicate values to use hashCode() and
equals() method to find the duplicate elements. So it is very important to implement them correctly.

Contract of hashCode() and equals() method

a. If object1.equals(object2) , then object1.hashCode() == object2.hashCode() should always be

true.

b. If object1.hashCode() == object2.hashCode() is true does not guarantee object1.equals(object2)

Q45 What is EnumSet in Java?

EnumSet is a specialized Set implementation for use with enum types. All of the elements in an enum
set must come from a single enum type that is specified explicitly or implicitly when the set is created.
The iterator never throws ConcurrentModificationException and is weakly consistent.
Advantage over HashSet:
All basic operations of EnumSet execute in constant time. It is most likely to be much faster than
HashSet counterparts.
It is a part of the Java Collections Framework since JDK 1.5.

Q46 What are concurrentCollectionClasses?

In jdk1.5, Java Api developers had introduced a new package called java.util.concurrent that has
thread-safe collection classes as they allow collections to be modified while iterating. The iterator is
fail-safe that is it will not throw ConcurrentModificationException.
Some examples of concurrentCollectionClasses are :
a. CopyOnWriteArrayList
b. ConcurrentHashMap

Q47 How do you convert a given Collection to SynchronizedCollection?

One line code : Collections.synchronizedCollection(Collection collectionObj) will convert a given

collection to synchronized collection.

Q48 What is IdentityHashMap?

IdentityHashMap

IdentityHashMap is a class present in java.util package. It implements the Map interface with a hash
table, using reference equality instead of object equality when comparing keys and values. In other
words, in IdentityHashMap two keys, k1 and k2 are considered equal if only if (k1==k2).
IdentityHashMap is not synchronized.
Iterators returned by the iterator() method are fail-fast, hence, they will throw
ConcurrentModificationException.

Q49 What is WeakHashMap?

WeakHashMap :

WeakHashMap is a class present in java.util package similar to IdentityHashMap. It is a Hashtable

based implementation of Map interface with weak keys. An entry in WeakHashMap will
automatically be removed when its key is no longer in ordinary use. More precisely the presence of a
mapping for a given key will not prevent the key from being discarded by the garbage collector.
It permits null keys and null values.
Like most collection classes this class is not synchronized. A synchronized WeakHashMap may be
constructed using the Collections.synchronizedMap() method.
Iterators returned by the iterator() method are fail-fast, hence, they will throw
ConcurrentModificationException.

Q50 How will you make Collections readOnly?

We can make the Collection readOnly by using the following lines code:

General : Collections.unmodifiableCollection(Collection c)

Collections.unmodifiableMap(Map m)
Collections.unmodifiableList(List l)
Collections.unmodifiableSet(Set s)

Q51 What is UnsupportedOperationException?

This exception is thrown to indicate that the requested operation is not supported.
Example of UnsupportedOperationException:
In other words, if you call add() or remove() method on the readOnly collection. We know readOnly
collection can not be modified. Hence, UnsupportedOperationException will be thrown.

Q52 Suppose there is an Employee class. We add Employee class objects to the ArrayList.
Mention the steps that need to be taken if I want to sort the objects in ArrayList using the
employeeId attribute present in Employee class.

a. Implement the Comparable interface for the Employee class and now to compare the objects by
employeeId we will override the emp1.compareTo(emp2)
b. We will now call Collections class sort method and pass the list as an argument, that is,
Collections.sort(empList)

If you want to add more java collections interview questions and answers or in case you have any
doubts related to the Java Collections framework, then please mention in the comments.

Q53 What are common algorithms used in the Collections Framework?

Common algorithms used for searching and sorting. For example, a red-black algorithm is used in the
sorting of elements in TreeMap. Most of the algorithms are used for List interface but few of them are
applicable for all kinds of Collection.

Q54 How to sort ArrayList in descending order?

One liner will be

Collections.sort(arraylist, Collections.reverseOrder());
Please find the code here : How to sort ArrayList in descending order.