Java Collections Interview Questions and Answers

Last Updated : 13 Sep, 2024

Java Collection Framework was introduced in JDK 1.2 which contains all the
collection classes and interfaces. Java Collection is a framework that provides a
mechanism to store and manipulate the collection of objects. It allows developers to
access prepackaged data structures and algorithms for manipulating data.

Here, we’ve covered the 50+ Java Collections Interview Questions and Answers
tailored for both Fresher and experienced professionals, which cover everything
from basic to advanced Java collection concepts such as navigation collection,
WeakHashMap, streams Lambdas, etc.

Java Collections Interview Questions

Whether you are a fresher or an experienced Java developer, these Java

Collections Interview Questions give you all the confidence you need to ace your
next Java interview.
Table of Content
Java Collection Interview Questions For Freshers
Java Collection Interview Questions For Experienced

We have divided the 50 questions into two parts: Experienced and Freshers. Let’s
begin with the questions for Freshers.

Java Collection Interview Questions For Freshers

1. What is Collection in Java?

The term collection refers to a group of objects represented as one unit. Classes in
the Java collection class hierarchy are divided into two “root” interfaces: Collection
(java.util.Collection) and Map (java.util.Map). Terms that you will encounter while
learning about the collection in Java:

Collection Framework: Java’s Collection Framework defines classes and

interfaces for representing groups of objects as a single entity. C++ developers
can compare the Collection framework with
STL (Standard Template Library)
and Container Framework with the Collection Framework if they come from a C++
background.
Collection Interface: A class’s interface specifies what it should do, not how. In
other words, it is the blueprint for the class. This interface provides the most
common methods for all collection objects that are part of the Collection
Framework. Alternatively, it represents the individual object as a whole.
Collections Class: A member of Collection Framework, it is part of java.util
package. The collection object is provided with many utility methods in this class.

2. What is a Framework in Java?

Frameworks are sets of classes and interfaces that provide a ready-made

architecture. It is not necessary to define a framework in order to implement new
features or classes. As a result, an optimal object-oriented design includes a
framework containing a collection of classes that all perform similar tasks. The
framework can be used in a variety of ways, such as by calling its methods,
extending it, and supplying “callbacks”, listeners, and other implementations. Some
of the popular frameworks in java are:

Spring
Hibernate
Struts
Google Web Toolkit (GWT)
JavaServer Faces (JSF)

3. What is the difference between Array and Collection in Java?

Arrays are a collection of similar-typed variables with a common name in Java.

There are some differences between arrays in Java and C/C++. On the other hand,
Collections are groups of individual objects that form a single entity known as the
collection of objects.

Arrays Collection

Arrays are fixed in size that is once we The collection is growable in nature
create an array we can not increase or and is based on our requirements. We
decrease based on our requirements. can increase or decrease of size.

With respect to memory, Arrays are not With respect to memory, collections
recommended for use. are recommended for use.

With respect to performance,

With respect to performance, Arrays are
collections are not recommended for
recommended for use.
use.

Collection can hold both

 Arrays can hold only homogeneous data homogeneous and heterogeneous
types elements. elements.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference Between Arrays and
Collections in Java

4. What are the various interfaces used in Java Collections Framework?

The collection is known as the root of the collection hierarchy. Collections represent
groups of objects known as elements. The java platform does not provide any direct
implementation of this interface but the Collection interface is being implemented by
List and Set classes.

Collection interface
List interface
Set interface
Queue interface
Dequeue interface
Map interface

5. Explain the hierarchy of the Collection framework in Java.

All classes and interfaces required by the collection framework are contained in the
utility package (java. util). Collection frameworks have an interface called an iterable
interface, which allows the iterator to iterate over all collections. In addition to this
interface, the main collection interface acts as a root for the collection framework. All
the collections extend this collection interface thereby extending the properties of the
iterator and the methods of this interface. The following figure illustrates the
hierarchy of the collection framework.
 Java Collection Hierarchy

6. What are the advantages of the collection Framework?

Advantages of the Collection Framework: Since the lack of a collection framework

gave rise to the above set of disadvantages, the following are the advantages of the
collection framework.

Consistent API: The API has a basic set of interfaces like Collection, Set, List, or
Map, all the classes (ArrayList, LinkedList, Vector, etc) that implement these
interfaces have some common set of methods.

Reduces programming effort: A programmer doesn’t have to worry about the

design of the Collection but rather he can focus on its best use in his program.
Therefore, the basic concept of Object-oriented programming (i.e.) abstraction
has been successfully implemented.

Increases program speed and quality: Increases performance by providing

high-performance implementations of useful data structures and algorithms
because in this case, the programmer need not think of the best implementation
of a specific data structure. He can simply use the best implementation to
drastically boost the performance of his algorithm/program.
7. What is ArrayList in Java?

ArrayList is a part of the Java collection framework and it is a class of java.util

package. It provides us with dynamic arrays in Java. The main advantages of
ArrayList are, if we declare an array then it’s needed to mention the size but in
ArrayList, it is not needed to mention the size of ArrayList if you want to mention the
size then you can do it.

Image of Array List

For more information, refer to the article – ArrayList in Java

8. What is the difference between Collection and Collections?

Collection Collections

It is an interface. It is a utility class.

It defines several utility

It is used to represent a group of individual methods that are used to
objects as a single unit. operate on collection.
 The Collection is an interface that contains a
static method since java8. The Interface can It contains only static methods.
also contain abstract and default methods.

For more information, refer to the article – Collection vs Collections in Java

with Example

9. Difference between ArrayList and LinkedList in the java collection

framework?

ArrayList and LinkedList

ArrayList LinkedList

This class uses a dynamic array to

This class uses a doubly linked list to
store the elements in it. With the
store the elements in it. Similar to the
introduction of generics, this class
 supports the storage of all types of ArrayList, this class also supports the
objects. storage of all types of objects.

Manipulating ArrayList takes more Manipulating LinkedList takes less time

time due to the internal compared to ArrayList because, in a
implementation. Whenever we doubly-linked list, there is no concept of
remove an element, internally, the shifting the memory bits. The list is
array is traversed and the memory traversed and the reference link is
bits are shifted. changed.

This class implements both the List

This class implements a List
interface and the Deque interface.
interface. Therefore, this acts as a
Therefore, it can act as a list and a
list.
deque.

This class works better when the This class works better when the
application demands storing the data application demands manipulation of the
and accessing it. stored data.

For more information, refer to the article – ArrayList vs LinkedList in Java

10. What is an iterator?

Java’s Collection framework uses iterators to retrieve elements one by one. This
iterator is universal since it can be used with any type of Collection object. Using
Iterator, we can perform both reading and removing operations. This is an improved
version of Enumeration with the addition of removing elements.

When enumerating elements in all Collection framework implemented interfaces,

such as Set, List, Queue, Deque, and all implemented classes of Map, an Iterator
must be used. The only cursor available for the entire collection framework is the
iterator. Using the iterator() method in the Collection interface, you can create an
iterator object.

Syntax:

Iterator itr = c.iterator();

Note: Here “c” is any Collection object. itr is of type Iterator interface and refers to
“c”.

For more information, refer to the article – Iterators in Java

11. What is the difference between an Iterator and an Enumeration?

A major difference between iterator and enumeration is that iterators have a

remove() method while enumerations do not. Thus, using Iterator we can manipulate
objects by adding and removing them from collections. Since enumeration can only
traverse objects and fetch them, it behaves like a read-only interface.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference between Iterator and
Enumeration

12. What is the difference between List and Set in Java

A major difference between a List and a Set is that a List can contain duplicate
elements while a set contains only unique elements. The list is Ordered and
maintains the order of the object to which they are added. The set is unordered.

List Set

The List is an indexed sequence. The Set is a non-indexed sequence.

 The list allows duplicate elements The set doesn’t allow duplicate
elements.

Elements by their position can be Position access to elements is not

accessed. allowed.

Multiple null elements can be stored. Null elements can store only once.

List implementations are ArrayList, Set implementations are HashSet,

LinkedList, Vector, Stack LinkedHashSet.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference Between List and Set in
Java

13. What are the best practices for Java Collections Framework?

Following are some of the best practices while using Java Collections:
 Programs should be written as interfaces, not implementations, so we can modify
the implementation later.
Whenever possible, use Generics to ensure type safety and avoid
ClassCastExceptions.
Choosing the appropriate type of collection based on the need. For example, if
the size is fixed, we might want to use an Array over an ArrayList. When iterating
over the Map, we should use LinkedHashMap. Set is the best way to avoid
duplicates.
Use immutable classes provided by JDK as keys in Map to avoid implementation
of hashCode() and equals().
In order to increase the readability of the code, we should use isEmpty() instead
of finding the size of the collection and comparing it to zero.
Rather than writing your own implementation, use the Collections utility class to
get read-only, Synchronized, or empty collections instead. It enhances code
reuse while resulting in greater stability.

14. What is a priority queue in Java?

PriorityQueues are used to process objects according to their priority. Queues follow
the First-In-First-Out algorithm, but sometimes the elements of the queue need to be
processed according to their priority, which is where PriorityQueue comes into play.
Priority queues are based on priority heaps.

The elements of the priority queue are ordered according to the natural ordering, or
by a Comparator provided at queue construction time, depending on which
constructor is used.
 Priority Queues in Java

Declaration:

public class PriorityQueue<E> extends AbstractQueue<E> implements

Serializable
where E is the type of elements held in this queue

The class implements Serializable, Iterable<E>, Collection<E>, and Queue<E>

interfaces.

15. What is the difference between List, set, and map in java?

List Set Map

The list interface

The set does not allow The map does not allow duplicate
allows duplicate
duplicate elements. elements
elements

The set does not

The list maintains maintain any insertion The map also does not maintain
insertion order. order. any insertion order.
 We can add any The map allows a single null key at
But in the set almost
number of null most and any number of null
only one null value.
values. values.

The list
Set implementation Map implementation classes are
implementation
classes are HashSet, HashMap, HashTable, TreeMap,
classes are Array
LinkedHashSet, and ConcurrentHashMap, and
List and
TreeSet. LinkedHashMap.
LinkedList.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference between List, Set, and
Map in Java

16. What is the difference between Queue and Stack?

Stack Queue

Stacks works on the LIFO principle,

Queues work on the FIFO principle, which
which means that the element
means that the element inserted first will be
inserted at the last will be the first
the first element that will be taken out.
element that will be taken out.

In queues, insertion occurs at the rear of

In stacks, insertion, and deletions
the list and deletion takes place from the
take place only from the top.
front of the list.

Insert operation is called push Insert operation is called enqueue

operation. operation.
 Delete operation is called pop Delete operation is called dequeue
operation. operation.

The top of a stack always points to Two pointers are maintained for accessing
the last element in the list, which is queues. The front pointer points to the first
the only pointer used to access the inserted element, and the rear pointer
list. points to the last inserted element.

17. What is BlockingQueue in Java?

The BlockingQueue interface in Java is added in Java 1.5 along with various other
concurrent Utility classes like ConcurrentHashMap, Counting Semaphore,
CopyOnWriteArrrayList, etc. The BlockingQueue interface supports flow control (in
addition to queue) by introducing blocking if either BlockingQueue is full or empty.

A thread trying to enqueue an element in a full queue is blocked until some other
thread makes space in the queue, either by dequeuing one or more elements or
clearing the queue completely. Similarly, it blocks a thread trying to delete from an
empty queue until some other threads insert an item. BlockingQueue does not
accept a null value. If we try to enqueue the null item, then it throws
NullPointerException.

Usage of BlockingQueue
 Blocking Queue in Java

The Hierarchy of BlockingQueue

Hierarchy of Blocking Queue in Java

Declaration:

public interface BlockingQueue<E> extends Queue<E>

Here, E is the type of elements stored in the Collection.

For more information, refer to the article – BlockingQueue Interface in Java

18. What is the hashCode()?

Image to demonstrate Java Hash Code

hashCode() method returns the hashcode value as an Integer. It is defined in the

Java Object class which computes the hash values of given input objects. Hashcode
value is mostly used in hashing-based collections like HashMap, HashSet,
HashTable….etc. This method must be overridden in every class which overrides the
equals() method.

Syntax :

public int hashCode()

// This method returns the hash code value
// for the object on which this method is invoked.

For more information, refer to the article – equals() and hashCode() methods
in Java

19. Distinguish between ArrayList and Vector in the Java Collection

Framework.

In collection interviews, this question is frequently asked; however, Vector is

synchronized whereas ArrayList is not. ArrayList is faster than Vector. ArrayList’s
Array size is increased by 50% when needed, while Vector’s capacity is doubled
whenever it is needed.

Array List vs Vector in java

ArrayList Vector

ArrayList is not Synchronized The vector is synchronized.

The size of ArrayList is incremented up The size of Vector is incremented up to

to 50% of the current array size if the 100% of the current array size if the
number of elements exceeds its number of elements exceeds its
capacity. capacity.

ArrayList is fast because it is non- Vector is slower because it’s

Synchronized. synchronized.
 The iterator interface is used to traverse An iterator interface or Enumeration
the elements can be used to traverse the vector.

For more information, refer to the article – Vector vs ArrayList in Java

20. Differentiate between Iterator and ListIterator.

Iterator ListIterator

Can traverse elements

Can traverse elements present in the Collection
present in Collection only in
both in the forward and backward directions.
the forward direction.

Helps to traverse Map, List,

Can only traverse List and not the other two.
and Set.

It has methods like nextIndex() and

Indexes cannot be obtained
previousIndex() to obtain indexes of elements at
by using Iterator.
any time while traversing the List.

Cannot modify or replace

We can modify or replace elements with the help
elements present in the
of set(E e)
Collection

For more information, refer to the article – Difference Between an Iterator and
ListIterator

21. What is the difference between an Iterator and an Enumeration?

Iterator: It is a universal iterator as we can apply it to any Collection object. By using
an Iterator, we can perform both read and remove operations.

Syntax:

// Here "c" is any Collection object. itr is of

// type Iterator interface and refers to "c"
Iterator itr = c.iterator();

Enumeration: Enumeration (or enum) is a user-defined data type. It is mainly used

to assign names to integral constants, the names make a program easy to read and
maintain.

Syntax:

// A simple enum example where enum is declared

// outside any class (Note enum keyword instead of
// class keyword)
enum Color
{
RED, GREEN, BLUE;
}

Iterator Enumeration

The iterator is a universal cursor as it

Enumeration is not a universal cursor as
is applicable to all the collection
it applies only to legacy classes.
classes.

The iterator has the remove() Enumeration does not have the remove()
method. method.

The iterator can do modifications (e.g The enumeration interface acts as a read-
using the remove() method which only interface, one can not do any
 removes the element from the modifications to the Collection while
Collection during traversal). traversing the elements of the Collection.

Iterator is not a legacy interface.

Enumeration is a legacy interface that is
Iterator can be used for the traversal
used for traversing Vector, and
of HashMap, LinkedList, ArrayList,
Hashtable.
HashSet, TreeMap, and TreeSet.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference between Iterator and
Enumeration

22. What are the features of Java Hashmap?

HashMap is similar to HashTable, but it is unsynchronized. It allows us to store the

null keys as well, but there should be only one null key object and there can be any
number of null values. This class makes no guarantees as to the order of the map.
To use this class and its methods, you need to import java.util. HashMap package
or its superclass.

HashMap in Java

Syntax:

public class HashMap<K,V> extends AbstractMap<K,V> implements

Map<K,V>, Cloneable, Serializable

Parameters: It takes two parameters namely as follows:

The type of keys maintained by this map (K)

The type of mapped values (V)

For more information, refer to the article – HashMap in Java with Examples
23. What are Collection Interfaces?

The Collection interface is a member of the Java Collections Framework. It is a part

of java.util package. It is one of the root interfaces of the Collection Hierarchy. The
Collection interface is not directly implemented by any class. However, it is
implemented indirectly via its subtypes or subinterfaces like List, Queue, and Set.

For Example, the HashSet class implements the Set interface which is a
subinterface of the Collection interface. If a collection implementation doesn’t
implement a particular operation, it should define the corresponding method to throw
UnsupportedOperationException.

The Hierarchy of Collection:

Collection Interface in Java

24. Explain the list interface.

In Java, the List interface allows the user to store an ordered collection of objects.
The list is the child interface of Collection. In Collection, a list is an ordered collection
of objects which can have duplicate values. Since List preserves the insertion order,
it allows positional access and insertion, which also allows duplicate values.
Syntax:
Java Course Java Arrays Java Strings Java OOPs Java Collection Java 8 Tutorial Java Multith

public interface List<E> extends Collection<E> ;

This list interface is implemented by various classes like ArrayList, Vector, Stack, etc.
Since all the subclasses implement the list, we can instantiate a list object with any
of these classes.

Example:

List <T> al = new ArrayList<> ();

List <T> ll = new LinkedList<> ();
List <T> v = new Vector<> ();

Where T is the type of the object

Array List in Java

The classes which implement the List interface are as follows:

ArrayList
LinkedList
Vector
Stack

25. Write a program to convert a given array into a collection with the
asList() method.

To convert array-based data into Collection based we can use java.util.Arrays

class. This class provides a static method asList(T… a) that converts the array into a
Collection.
 Java

// Convert an Array into Collection in Java

// import java util library
import java.util.*;

// class for writing logic of the problem

public class ArrayToCollection {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// array input
String students[] = { "Kamlesh", "Abhay",
"Abhishek", "Shivansh" };

// printing input elements for comparison

System.out.println("Array input: "
+ Arrays.toString(students));

// converting array into Collection

// with asList() function
List studentList = Arrays.asList(students);

// print converted elements

System.out.println("Converted elements: "
+ studentList);
}
}

Output

Array input: [Kamlesh, Abhay, Abhishek, Shivansh]

Converted elements: [Kamlesh, Abhay, Abhishek, Shivansh]

26. Differentiate between HashSet and HashMap

HashSet HashMap

HashSet implements the Set

HashMap implements the Map interface
interface
 Yes duplicates values are allowed but no
No Duplicates are allowed
duplicate key is allowed

Dummy values are allowed in No Dummy values are allowed in

HashSet. HashMap.

A single Object is required during an

2 Objects are required during an add
add operation
operation

Speed is comparatively faster than

Speed is comparatively slower than
HashSet because of hashing technique
HashMap
has been used here.

Single null key and any number of null

Have a single null value
values

Add() method is used for the

The put () method is used for insertion.
insertion

For more information, refer to the article – Difference between HashMap and
HashSet

27. Differentiate between HashSet and HashTable.

HashSet HashTable

HashTable
does not allow
HashSet allows NULL Elements NULL
 Elements.

HashTable
Objects that you insert in HashSet are not guaranteed to be does not
inserted in the same order. Objects are inserted based on their maintain
hash code. LinkedHashSet can be used to maintain order. insertion
order.

HashSet is not Synchronized but it can be synchronized HashTable is

externally. Synchronized.

put() method
is used to
add() method is used to insert into HashSet
insert into
HashTable

28. What is the default size of the load factor in the hashing-based
collection?

As the Load Factor increases, the capacity increases so that the operational
complexity of the HashMap remains O(1) if the ratio of the current element to the
initial capacity crosses the threshold. The meaning of operational complexity of O(1)
means the retrieval and insertion operations take constant time. The default load
factor size is 0.75. The default capacity is calculated by multiplying the initial
capacity by the load factor.

For more information, refer to the article – Load Factor in HashMap in Java
with Examples

Java Collection Interview Questions For Experienced

29. What is the difference between Comparable and Comparator in Java?

Java provides two interfaces to sort objects using data members of the class:

Comparable
Comparator

Comparable Comparator

The Comparable interface provides a The Comparator interface provides

single sorting sequence. multiple sorting sequences.

The actual class is modified by a The actual class is not modified by the
comparable interface Comparator interface.

compareTo() method is used to sort compare() method is used to sort

elements. elements.

Comparable is present in the package Comparator is present in the package

java.lang java.util

For more information, refer to the article – Comparable vs Comparator in Java

30. What is the difference between fail-fast and failsafe?

Iterators in Java are used to iterate over the Collection objects. Fail-Fast iterators
immediately throw ConcurrentModificationException if there is a structural
modification of the collection. Structural modification means adding, or removing
any element from a collection while a thread is iterating over that collection. Iterator
on ArrayList and HashMap classes are some examples of fail-fast Iterator.

Fail- Fail-
Fast Safe
 ConcurrentModificationException is
thrown while modifying the object No Exception is thrown
during the iteration process.

Fail-Safe iterator requires more memory

Fail-Fast needs less memory during
during the process.
the process.

A clone Object is not created during A clone Object or a Copy is created

the iteration process. during the iteration process.

Fail-Fast does not allow modification Fail-Safe allows modification during the
during the process of iteration. process of iteration.

Fail-Fast is fast, Fail-Safe is slightly slower than fail fast.

Examples: Examples:

ArrayList, Vector, HashMap, HashSet, ConcurrentHashMap,

etc. CopyOnWriteArrayList, etc.

For more information, refer to the article – Fail Fast and Fail Safe Iterators in
Java

31. Write a program to iterate the list using the lambda expression.

Iteration can be done using a lambda expression.

Syntax:

list_name.forEach(variable->{//block of code})
 Java

// Java Program to iterate over a List

// using forEach()

// Importing all classes of

// java.util method
import java.util.*;

// Class
class GFG {

// Main driver method

public static void main(String args[])
{
// Creating an ArrayList
List<String> l = new ArrayList<String>();

// Adding elements to the List

// Custom inputs
l.add("Geeks");
l.add("for");
l.add("Geeks");

// Lambda expression printing all elements in a List

l.forEach((temp) -> { System.out.println(temp); });
}
}

Output

Geeks
for
Geeks

For more information, refer to the article – Iterate through List in Java

32. What is IdentityHashMap?

The IdentityHashMap implements the Map interface using Hashtable, comparing

keys (and values) using reference equality instead of object equality. This class
implements the Map interface, but it intentionally breaks Map’s general contract,
which demands that objects are compared using the equals() method. This class is
used when the user allows objects to be compared using references. It belongs to
java.util package.

For more information, refer to the article – IdentityHashMap class in Java

33. Write a program in Java to display the contents of a HashTable using

enumeration.

The hashtable class implements a hash table, which maps keys to values. Any non-
null object can be used as a key or as a value. To successfully store and retrieve
objects from a hashtable, the objects used as keys must implement the hashCode
method and the equals method. Below is the program to display the contents of a
HashTable using enumeration:

Java
 // Java Program to Demonstrate Getting Values
// as an Enumeration of Hashtable class

import java.io.*;
import java.util.Enumeration;
import java.util.Hashtable;

// Main class
// EnumerationOnKeys
public class GFG {

// Main driver method

public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Creating an empty hashtable
Hashtable<Integer, String> hash
= new Hashtable<Integer, String>();

// Inserting key-value pairs into hash table

// using put() method
hash.put(1, "Geeks");
hash.put(2, "for");
hash.put(3, "Geeks");

// Now creating an Enumeration object

// to read elements
Enumeration e = hash.elements();

// Condition holds true till there is

// single key remaining

// Printing elements of hashtable

// using enumeration
while (e.hasMoreElements()) {

// Printing the current element

System.out.println(e.nextElement());
}
}
}

Output

Geeks
for
 Geeks

34. Write a program in java to get the collection view of the values
present in a HashMap.

Java’s HashMap class has the java.util.HashMap.values() method for creating

collections out of HashMap values. It basically returns a Collection view of HashMap
values.

Java

// Java code to illustrate the values() method

import java.util.*;

public class Hash_Map_Demo {

public static void main(String[] args)
{

// Creating an empty HashMap

HashMap<Integer, String> hash_map
= new HashMap<Integer, String>();

// Mapping string values to int keys

hash_map.put(0, "Welcome");
hash_map.put(1, "to");
hash_map.put(2, "Geeks");
hash_map.put(3, "4");
hash_map.put(4, "Geeks");

// Displaying the HashMap

System.out.println("Initial Mappings are: "
+ hash_map);

// Using values() to get the set view of values

System.out.println("The collection is: "
+ hash_map.values());
}
}

Output
 Initial Mappings are: {0=Welcome, 1=to, 2=Geeks, 3=4, 4=Geeks}
The collection is: [Welcome, to, Geeks, 4, Geeks]

For more information, refer to the article – HashMap values() Method in Java

35. Write a program to join two ArrayList into one single ArrayList.

Given two ArrayLists in Java, our task is to join these ArrayLists.

Java
 // Java program to demonstrate
// How to join ArrayList

import java.util.*;

public class GFG {

public static void main(String args[])
{

ArrayList<String> list_1 = new ArrayList<String>();

list_1.add("Geeks");
list_1.add("For");
list_1.add("ForGeeks");

// Print the ArrayList 1

System.out.println("ArrayList 1: " + list_1);

ArrayList<String> list_2 = new ArrayList<String>();

list_2.add("GeeksForGeeks");
list_2.add("A computer portal");

// Displaying the ArrayList 2

System.out.println("ArrayList 2: " + list_2);

// using Collection.addAll() method to join two

// arraylist
list_1.addAll(list_2);

// Print the joined ArrayList

System.out.println("Joined ArrayLists: " + list_1);
}
}

Output

ArrayList 1: [Geeks, For, ForGeeks]

ArrayList 2: [GeeksForGeeks, A computer portal]
Joined ArrayLists: [Geeks, For, ForGeeks, GeeksForGeeks, A
computer portal]

For more information, refer to the article – Join two ArrayLists in Java
36. How can you synchronize an ArrayList in Java?

Using the Collections.synchronizedList() method, we can synchronize our collections

in Java. SynchronizedList() returns a synchronized (thread-safe) list backed by a
selection.

Java

// Java program to show synchronization of ArrayList

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

class GFG {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Non Synchronized ArrayList
List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();

list.add("Eat");
list.add("Coffee");
list.add("Code");
list.add("Sleep");
list.add("Repeat");

// Synchronizing ArrayList in Java

list = Collections.synchronizedList(list);

// we must use synchronize block to avoid

// non-deterministic behavior
synchronized (list)
{
Iterator<String> it = list.iterator();
while (it.hasNext()) {
System.out.println(it.next());
}
}
}
}

Output

Eat
 Coffee
Code
Sleep
Repeat

37. What is a Properties Class in Java?

The properties class is a subclass of Hashtable. The properties class stores a list of
values whose key is a string and whose value is also a string. Properties can define
other properties class lists, but the default is properties.

Features of Properties class:

Property is a subclass of Hashtable.

The Properties file is used to store and retrieve string data type for a list of values
where the key is a string and the value is also a string.
If the original properties list does not contain a certain key property, the default
properties list will be searched instead.
Objects can be shared by multiple threads without external synchronization.
The properties class can be used to retrieve the properties of the system.

For more information, refer to the article – Properties Class in Java

38. What will happen if you use HashMap in a multithreaded Java

application?

In a multi-threaded environment, if multiple threads alter the map structurally, such

as adding, removing, or modifying mappings, the internal data structure of HashMap
may become corrupted and there may be some missing links, incorrect entries, and
the map itself may become completely useless. Thus, you should not use HashMap
in a concurrent application; instead, use ConcurrentHashMap or Hashtable which is
thread-safe. The ConcurrentHashMap includes all the Hashtable’s methods as well
as full concurrency of retrievals and updates.
How did ThreadSafeConcurrentHashMap become thread-safe?

java.util.Concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap class provides thread safety by dividing

the map into segments, which allows the lock to be taken only once per segment,
i.e, once for each thread.
The read operation in ConcurrentHashMap does not require a lock.

For more information, refer to the article – How Does ConcurrentHashMap

Achieve Thread-Safety in Java?

39. What will happen if two different keys of HashMap return the same
hashcode()?

When two different keys of HashMap return the same hash code, they will end up in
the same bucket; therefore, collisions will occur. n case of collision, i.e. index of two
or more nodes is the same, nodes are joined by a link list i.e. the second node is
referenced by the first node and the third by the second, and so on.

For more information, refer to the article – Internal Working of HashMap in

Java

40. What is WeakHashMap?

WeakHashMap implements the Map interface. Unlike HashMap, WeakHashMap

allows garbage collection even if the object specified as the key doesn’t contain any
references despite being associated with WeakHashMap. In other words, Garbage
Collector is better than WeakHashMap.

For more information, refer to the article – Hashmap vs WeakHashMap in Java

41. What is UnsupportedOperationException?

In the context of APIs or list implementations, the UnsupportedOperationException is
a common exception. The exception is thrown when the requested operation cannot
be performed. This class is a member of the Java Collections Framework.

Syntax:

public class UnsupportedOperationException

extends RuntimeException

For more information, refer to the article – UnsupportedOperationException

42. How to make a Collection Read-Only in Java?

Creating a Read-Only Collection involves restricting the object to only fetching the
data and not adding or removing data. Java has different methods for different
Collection types like unmodifiableCollection(), unmodifiableMap(),
ununmodifiableSet(), etc. java.util.The collections class defines all methods. The
unmodifiableCollection() method creates a Read-Only collection. It requires a
reference to the Collection class. If we have an object of Set Interface, we can use
ununmodifiableSet() to make Read-Only.

For more information, refer to the article – How to Make a Collection Read-
Only in Java?

43. Difference between PriorityQueue and TreeSet in Java?

PriorityQueue TreeSet

PriorityQueue comes in JDK

TreeSet comes in JDK 1.4.
1.5.

The data structure used by The data structure used by TreeSet is Set.
 PriorityQueue is Queue

Duplicate elements are

Duplicate elements are not allowed.
allowed.

Except for the root element,

the rest of the elements do In TreeSet all the elements remain in the sorted
not follow any particular order order.
in PriorityQueue.

TreeSet doesn’t provide a way to retrieve the

Using PriorityQueue, we can
largest or smallest element in O(1) time, but
retrieve the largest or smallest
since they are in sorted order it gets the first or
element in O(1) time.
last element in O(1) time.

For more information, refer to the article – Difference Between PriorityQueue

and TreeSet

44. What is the diamond operator in Java?

Diamond operators are used for simplifying the use of generics when creating
objects while avoiding unchecked warnings in a program. When the Diamond
operator was introduced in Java 7, we can create the object without mentioning the
generic type on the right side of the expression as shown below.

Syntax:

List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();

For more information, refer to the article – Diamond operator

45. How TreeMap works in Java?

TreeMap stores the key-value pairs, but TreeMap sorts the keys ascending rather
than descending like HashMap. Depending on which constructor is used, TreeMap
will be sorted either based on its keys, or by a Comparator. In TreeMap, the
elements are sorted based on a Red-Black tree. A red-black tree is a self-balancing
binary search tree where each node has an extra bit, and that bit is often interpreted
as the color (red or black). These colors are used to ensure that the tree remains
balanced during insertions and deletions.

Structure of a Node in Java

For more information, refer to the article – Internal Working of TreeMap in Java

46. List down ways to iterate over Map in java?

The HashMap class provides Java’s Map interface by storing data in (Key, Value)
pairs and accessing them by an index of another type. To use this class it is
necessary to import java.util.HashMap package or its superclass.

There are numerous ways to iterate over HashMap of which 5 are listed below:

1. Iterate through a HashMap EntrySet using Iterators.

2. Iterate through HashMap KeySet using Iterator.
3. Iterate HashMap using for-each loop.
4. Iterating through a HashMap using Lambda Expressions.
5. Loop through a HashMap using Stream API.

For more information, refer to the article – How to Iterate HashMap in Java

47. What is CopyOnWriteArrayList in Java?

 CopyOnWriteArrayList in Java

JDK 1.5 introduced an enhanced version of ArrayList called CopyOnWriteArrayList,

where all modifications (add, set, remove, etc) are implemented by a new copy. It
can be found in java.util.concurrent. It is a data structure created to be used in a
concurrent environment. In a Thread-based environment, the CopyOnWriteArrayList
is intended for frequent reading and infrequent updating. CopyOnWriteArrayList is a
thread-safe version of ArrayList.

For more information, refer to the article – CopyOnWriteArrayList in Java

48. What is EnumMap in Java?

EnumMap is an implementation of the Map interface specific to enumeration types.

EnumMap class is a member of the Java Collections Framework & is not
synchronized. It extends AbstractMap and implements the Map interface in java.
EnumMap belongs to java.util package.

Syntax:

public class EnumMap<K extends Enum<K>,V> extends AbstractMap<K,V>

implements Serializable, Cloneable

// K must extend Enum, which enforces the requirement that the keys must be
of the specified enum type.

Parameters:

Key object type

Value object type

EnumMap in Java

For more information, refer to the article – EnumMap class in Java

49. How does Hashmap internally Works?

HashMap works on the principle of Hashing. HashMap contains an array of Node

and Node can represent a class having the following objects:

int hash
K key
V value
Node next

The internal workings of HashMap:

Hashing
Buckets
Index Calculation in Hashmap

For more information, refer to the article – Internal Working of HashMap in

Java

50. Why iterator in hashmap is considered fail-fast?

fail-fast iterators immediately throw concurrent modification exceptions if any thread

from outside attempts to modify the collection on which they are iterating. The fail-
fast feature ensures that the iterator fails immediately if it detects that any
modification of the collection will lead to anomalous behavior in the future.

Fail fast feature ensures that if iterator feels that modification of collection
would result in anomalous behaviour at any point of time in future, it fails
immediately.

Example:
 Java

// Java code to demonstrate remove

// case in Fail-fast iterators

import java.io.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Iterator;

public class GFG {

public static void main(String[] args)
{
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>();
arr.add(1);
arr.add(2);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(4);
arr.add(5);

Iterator<Integer> it = arr.iterator();
while (it.hasNext()) {
if (it.next() == 2) {
// will not throw Exception
it.remove();
}
}

System.out.println(arr);

it = arr.iterator();
while (it.hasNext()) {
if (it.next() == 3) {
// will throw Exception on
// next call of next() method
arr.remove(3);
}
}
}
}

Output:

[1, 3, 4, 5]
Exception in thread "main"
java.util.ConcurrentModificationException
 at
java.util.ArrayList$Itr.checkForComodification(ArrayList.java:901
)
at java.util.ArrayList$Itr.next(ArrayList.java:851)
at FailFastExample.main(FailFastExample.java:28)

Conclusion
Java Collections is important to understand for Java developers or programmers
because Java is widely used in various industries. It’s important for developers to
have a solid understanding of core concepts of Java Collections. Java is one of the
most widely used languages in top companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Google, Netflix,
Instagram, Spotify, Amazon, etc. To get into these companies or any other IT
companies, you need to master these mostly asked Java Collections interview
questions in order to crack their Java-based online assessment and technical
interview.

If you’re looking to practice coding questions, the JAVA Collection Programs

may be a helpful resource.

Java Collections Interview Questions – FAQs

What are collections in Java interview questions?

Collection in Java is a framework used for storing and manipulating collections

of objects.

What are the 4 collection classes in Java?

There are many collections in Java but out of them most used collections are:

1. ArrayList
 2. LinkedList
3. HashSet
4. Stack

Can HashMap have duplicate keys?

No, HashMap can’t have duplicate keys. As HashMap is one of the collections
in Java, it stores the value in the form of key-value and every key has its own
value attached to it. So, as no key can have two value means we can’t have
duplicate keys in HashMap.

Why array is not a collection?

The array is not a collection, it is all because of the difference in the

functionality between collections and arrays few of which are mentioned
below:

The size of the Array can’t be changed once declared

Arrays can hold only homogeneous data types elements.
The array can hold both primitive datatypes and objects whereas in
collections it is only able to hold wrapper objects.

Want to be a master in Backend Development with Java for building robust and
scalable applications? Enroll in Java Backend and Development Live Course by
GeeksforGeeks to get your hands dirty with Backend Programming. Master the key
Java concepts, server-side programming, database integration, and more
through hands-on experiences and live projects. Are you new to Backend
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