The following are some of the most common ArrayList methods. The E in the method headers below stands for the type of the element in the ArrayList; this type E can be any Object type. We will look at how these methods work below.
ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
System.out.println( list.size() );
Note6.26.1.
With arrays, you use the length field to get the number of items in the array. But, with an ArrayList you use the size() method to get the number of items in the ArrayList. You will not be penalized if you mix up length and size() in the CS A exam. The number of items in an empty ArrayList is 0.
You can add values to an ArrayList by using the method add(obj) which will add the object to the end of the list, just like you would join the end of the line to board a bus.
Run the code below to see how the list changes as each object is added to the end. Notice that we added the same string to the list more than once. Lists can hold duplicate objects. Can you add your name to the list and then print out the list?
When adding Integer objects to the list, you can use the Integer constructor like add(new Integer(5)) in Java version 7 which is used on the exam (although this is deprecated and no longer used in Java version 9) or you can just add the int value directly like add(5) in any Java version and it will be changed into an Integer object automatically. This is called autoboxing. When you pull an int value out of a list of Integers that is called unboxing.
ArrayList<Integer> list = new ArrayList<Integer>();
list.add(new Integer(5)); // this will only work in Java 7
list.add(5); // this will work in all Java versions
You can put any kind of Objects into an ArrayList. Even objects for a class that you wrote. For example, here is an ArrayList of Students.
There are actually two different add methods in the ArrayList class. The add(obj) method adds the passed object to the end of the list. The add(index,obj) method adds the passed object at the passed index, but first moves over any existing values to higher indicies to make room for the new object.
What will the code below print out? Try figuring it out before running it. Remember that ArrayLists start at index 0 and that the add(index,obj) always has the index as the first argument.
You can also remove values from an ArrayList by using remove(index) to remove the item at the given index from the list. This will move all the other items over in the underlying array and decrease the size of the ArrayList by 1.
The remove(int index) method will remove the object at the index and shift left any values to the right of the current index. It doesn’t remove the object that matches the integer value given. In the example above it doesn’t remove the value 1. It removes the value 2 at index 1.
You can get the object at an index using obj = listName.get(index) and set the object at an index using listName.set(index,obj). Set/Get are used after you add and remove elements to an ArrayList to change or retrieve them.
Notice that ArrayLists use set/get methods instead of using the square brackets array[index] that arrays use. This is because ArrayList is a class with methods that provide access to the underlying array.
Try to guess what the code below will print before running it. Can you get the last element in the nameList to print it out? Can you set the first element in the list to your name and print out the list?
The set will replace the item at index 2 so this can not be right.
[1, 2, 4, 5, 6]
The add with an index of 2 and a value of 5 adds the 5 at index 2 not 3. Remember that the first index is 0.
[1, 2, 5, 4, 6]
The set will change the item at index 2 to 4. The add of 5 at index 2 will move everything else to the right and insert 5. The last add will be at the end of the list.
[1, 5, 2, 4, 6]
The add with an index of 2 and a value of 5 adds the 5 at index 2 not 1. Remember that the first index is 0.
set changes the value and the first index is 0 not 1.
["Anaya", "Sarah", "Sharrie"]
add at index 1 adds the new value at that index but moves right any existing values.
["Anaya", "Sarah", "Destini", "Sharrie"]
The list is first ["Anaya", "Layla", "Sharrie"] and then changes to ["Anaya", Destini", "Sharrie"] and then to ["Anaya", "Sarah", "Destini", "Sharrie"]
When do you use arrays and when do you use ArrayLists? Use an array when you want to store several items of the same type and you know how many items will be in the array and the items in the array won’t change in order or number. Use an ArrayList when you want to store several items of the same type and you don’t know how many items you will need in the list or when you want to remove items from the list or add items to the list while the program is running.
// arrays must specify a size!
int[ ] highScores = new int[5];
String[ ] names = new String[5];
// ArrayLists are empty to start with
ArrayList<Integer> highScoreList = new ArrayList<Integer>();
ArrayList<String> nameList = new ArrayList<String>();
Here is a comparison of how to access and change elements in arrays and ArrayLists.
Note that the ArrayList methods add and remove do not have a simple equivalent in arrays because they actually change the size of the underlying array and move elements over.
Rewrite the following code that uses an array to use an ArrayList instead. In the comments write why you think an ArrayList is a better data structure to use than an array for this problem.
void add(int index, E obj) : Insertss obj at position index (0 <= index <= size), moving elements at position index and higher to the right (adds 1 to their indices) and adds 1 to size
remove(int index) — Removes element from position index, moving elements at position index + 1 and higher to the left (subtracts 1 from their indices) and subtracts 1 from size; returns the element formerly at position index
