Java Collections

The Collections Framework is supplied with all versions of the Java 2 platform and provides programmers with incredibly efficient ways to manipulate data. However, given the large number of methods and classes in this library, using them correctly is hardly a cakewalk. John Zukowski gives the Java professional exactly what he or she needs to know about this vital library in order to maximize productivity. This book contains comprehensive coverage of the important Collections Framework from the working programmer's point-of-view, while staying away from academic abstractions.

Java Collections leads the reader through the standard Java support for maintaining abstract groups of data, from the historical collection classes available since the inception of Java time, through the Collections Framework introduced with the Java 2 platform and on to third-party alternative libraries for times when the standard support isn't enough. If you're working with data in Java programs, you need to understand the Collections Framework.

Introduction

Part I: The Historical Collection of Classes

Chapter 1: Arrays

Chapter 2: The Vector and Stack Classes

Chapter 3: The Enumeration Interface

Chapter 4: The Dictionary, Hashtable and Properties Classes

Part II: The Collections Framework

Chapter 5: Collections

Chapter 6: Sets

Chapter 7: Sequences and Lists

Chapter 8: Maps

Chapter 9: Sorting

Chapter 10: Special Collection Implementations

Chapter 11: Array Algorithm Support

Chapter 12: Creating Custom Implementations

Chapter 13: Usage Issues

Chapter 14: Advanced Issues / Examples

Part III: Alternative Collection Libraries

Chapter 15: The Generic Collection Library for Java (JGL)

Chapter 16: Doug Lea's util.concurrent

Chapter 17: Colt

Appendices

Collections API Reference