List, Set, and Map Interfaces
Explore the key interfaces of the Java Collections Framework: List, Set, and Map. Learn their core contracts, modern factory methods for unmodifiable collections, and how different Set implementations affect data ordering and performance. Understand how these collections handle duplicates and iteration, preparing you for interview questions and efficient Java programming.
We'll cover the following...
The Java collections framework relies on three primary interfaces to organize data. Understanding the structural contracts of lists, sets, and maps allows us to select the most efficient data structure for a given algorithm.
We’ll explore these core interfaces and their modern implementation patterns:
What defines the List interface and its primary implementations?
Modern Java provides factory methods for creating unmodifiable lists. The following example shows how to initialize a list and access its elements using sequenced collection methods.