In this post, we will learn the difference between Collections and Streams in Java. This is a frequently asked question in Java interviews for beginners. Let's dive into it.
Difference between Collections and Streams in Java
Features | Collections | Streams |
---|---|---|
Main Use | Collections are primarily used for storing and grouping data | Streams are primarily used for performing operations on data |
Manipulation | Elements can be added or removed from collections | Elements can't be added or removed from streams |
Iteration | Collections need to be externally iterated | Streams are internally iterated |
Traversal | Collections can be traversed multiple times | Streams can be traversed only once |
Construction | Collections are eagerly constructed | Streams are lazily constructed |
Examples | List, Set, Map, etc | Filtering, mapping, matching, etc |
Related Collections Interview QA
- map() vs flatMap() in Java
- Collections vs Streams
- ArrayList vs Vector
- Iterator vs ListIterator
- HashMap vs HashTable
- HashSet vs HashMap
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- HashMap vs ConcurrentHashMap
- LinkedList vs ArrayDeque
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- Enum vs EnumSet in Java
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- Synchronized Collections vs. Concurrent Collections