Collection Hierarchy in Java

The Java Collections Framework (JCF) is a unified architecture that provides interfaces, classes, and algorithms for storing and manipulating groups of objects. It simplifies working with data structures and allows developers to choose the right collection type based on their requirements.

Collections can store data in lists, sets, queues, or maps, each with distinct behavior.

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Top-Level Interfaces in Collections

These are interfaces defined in the Collections Framework. They define behavior/contract that collection classes implement. Some are subinterfaces.

Hierarchy Diagram of Top-Level Interfaces

                   Iterable (Root interface)
                            │
                     Collection (Parent)
          ┌─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
          │             │             │
         List           Set           Queue
          │             │             │
  ┌───────┴───────┐     │     ┌───────┴───────┐
  │               │     │     │               │
ArrayList     LinkedList HashSet LinkedHashSet  PriorityQueue
Vector        Stack     TreeSet NavigableSet    ArrayDeque

Map (Separate)
   ├──────────────┬─────────────┬──────────────┐
HashMap   LinkedHashMap  TreeMap (SortedMap)  NavigableMap

1. Iterable (Root Interface)

• The root interface for all collection types.
• Provides the iterator() method to traverse elements.
• Supports enhanced for-each loops.

Iterable
   └── Collection

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2. Collection Interface

• Base interface for storing a group of objects.
• Extends Iterable.
• Subinterfaces: List, Set, Queue, Deque.
• Key methods: add(), remove(), size(), contains(), iterator().

Example:

Collection<String> coll = new ArrayList<>();
coll.add("Apple");
coll.add("Banana");
System.out.println(coll.contains("Apple")); // true

Note: Map is not part of the Collection hierarchy.

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3. List Interface

• Ordered collection, allows duplicates, supports index-based access.
• Maintains insertion order.

Common Implementations: ArrayList, LinkedList, Vector, Stack.

Example:

List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();
list.add("A");
list.add("B");
list.add("A"); // duplicates allowed
System.out.println(list); // [A, B, A]

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4. Set Interface

• Stores unique elements only, no duplicates.
• No index-based access, unordered by default.

Common Implementations: HashSet, LinkedHashSet, TreeSet.

Example:

Set<String> set = new HashSet<>();
set.add("A");
set.add("B");
set.add("A"); // duplicate ignored
System.out.println(set); // [A, B] (unordered)

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5. Queue Interface

• Holds elements for processing in FIFO order (or priority-based).
• Useful for task scheduling, event processing, or buffering.

Common Implementations: PriorityQueue, LinkedList, ArrayDeque.

Example:

Queue<Integer> queue = new LinkedList<>();
queue.add(10);
queue.add(20);
System.out.println(queue.poll()); // 10 (FIFO)

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6. Deque Interface

• Double-ended queue, allows insertion/removal at both ends.
• Supports FIFO, LIFO, and double-ended operations.

Common Implementations: ArrayDeque, LinkedList.

Deque (Double-Ended Queue)

Queue ──> Deque
           ├── ArrayDeque
           └── LinkedList

Example:

Deque<String> deque = new ArrayDeque<>();
deque.addFirst("A");
deque.addLast("B");
System.out.println(deque); // [A, B]

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7. Map Interface

• Stores key-value pairs, keys are unique, values may duplicate.
• Not part of Collection, but a top-level interface.

Common Implementations: HashMap, LinkedHashMap, TreeMap, NavigableMap.

Map Hierarchy (Separate Branch)

Map
 ├── HashMap
 ├── LinkedHashMap
 ├── TreeMap (SortedMap)
 │       └── NavigableMap
 └── Hashtable (Legacy)

Example:

Map<String, Integer> map = new HashMap<>();
map.put("A", 100);
map.put("B", 200);
System.out.println(map.get("A")); // 100

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8. SortedSet & NavigableSet

• SortedSet: Maintains elements in sorted order. Example: TreeSet.
• NavigableSet: Adds navigation methods like ceiling(), floor(), higher(), lower().

SortedSet & NavigableSet

Set (Specialized)
 └── SortedSet
        └── NavigableSet

Example:

NavigableSet<Integer> navSet = new TreeSet<>();
navSet.add(10);
navSet.add(20);
System.out.println(navSet.ceiling(15)); // 20

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9. SortedMap & NavigableMap

• SortedMap: Keys are stored in sorted order. Example: TreeMap.
• NavigableMap: Adds navigation methods like ceilingKey(), floorKey(), higherKey(), lowerKey().

SortedMap & NavigableMap

Map (Specialized)
 └── SortedMap
        └── NavigableMap

Example:

NavigableMap<Integer, String> navMap = new TreeMap<>();
navMap.put(1, "A");
navMap.put(3, "C");
System.out.println(navMap.higherKey(1)); // 3

Types of Collections (Functional Categories)

Type	Description
List	Ordered collection, duplicates allowed, index-based
Set	Unique elements, unordered/sorted, no index
Queue	FIFO or priority-based collection
Deque	Double-ended queue, supports both ends
Map	Key-value pairs, keys unique, values may duplicate

Subinterfaces like SortedSet, NavigableSet, SortedMap, and NavigableMap are specialized versions of Set or Map.

Flowchart – Full Collection Hierarchy

Start
  │
  ▼
Iterable (Root)
  │
  ▼
Collection
  │
  ├───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
  ▼               ▼               ▼               ▼
 List             Set             Queue            Map
  │               │               │               │
  ▼               ▼               ▼               ▼
ArrayList        HashSet       PriorityQueue     HashMap
LinkedList       LinkedHashSet LinkedList       LinkedHashMap
Vector           TreeSet       ArrayDeque       TreeMap (SortedMap)
Stack           SortedSet      Deque            NavigableMap
                 NavigableSet

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Key Points to Remember

• Iterable → Root interface for iteration using iterator() or for-each loops.
• Collection → Base for List, Set, Queue, Deque.
• List → Ordered, allows duplicates, index-based access.
• Set → Unique elements, duplicates not allowed.
• Queue → FIFO / priority-based collection.
• Deque → Double-ended queue, supports both ends.
• Map → Key-value pairs, keys unique, values may duplicate.
• SortedSet/NavigableSet → Sorted elements, navigational methods.
• SortedMap/NavigableMap → Sorted keys, navigational methods.
• Legacy Collections → Vector, Stack, Hashtable, Enumeration.