ArrayList.contains() vs HashMap.containsKey() vs HashMap.get()

Question

Does ArrayList.contains() have to iterate over all items to do its check? Does HashMap.containsKey()? I know HashMap.get() doesn't need to, but is that why it is the most efficient?

Answer 1

Hmm does ArrayList.contains() iterate?

/**
 * Returns <tt>true</tt> if this list contains the specified element.
 * More formally, returns <tt>true</tt> if and only if this list contains
 * at least one element <tt>e</tt> such that
 * <tt>(o==null&nbsp;?&nbsp;e==null&nbsp;:&nbsp;o.equals(e))</tt>.
 *
 * @param o element whose presence in this list is to be tested
 * @return <tt>true</tt> if this list contains the specified element
 */
public boolean contains(Object o) {
    return indexOf(o) >= 0;
}

/**
 * Returns the index of the first occurrence of the specified element
 * in this list, or -1 if this list does not contain the element.
 * More formally, returns the lowest index <tt>i</tt> such that
 * <tt>(o==null&nbsp;?&nbsp;get(i)==null&nbsp;:&nbsp;o.equals(get(i)))</tt>,
 * or -1 if there is no such index.
 */
public int indexOf(Object o) {
    if (o == null) {
        for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
            if (elementData[i]==null)
                return i;
    } else {
        for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
            if (o.equals(elementData[i]))
                return i;
    }
    return -1;
}

Why yes. Yes it does.

---

Does HashMap.containsKey() iterate?

/**
 * Returns <tt>true</tt> if this map contains a mapping for the
 * specified key.
 *
 * @param   key   The key whose presence in this map is to be tested
 * @return <tt>true</tt> if this map contains a mapping for the specified
 * key.
 */
public boolean containsKey(Object key) {
    return getEntry(key) != null;
}

/**
 * Returns the entry associated with the specified key in the
 * HashMap.  Returns null if the HashMap contains no mapping
 * for the key.
 */
final Entry<K,V> getEntry(Object key) {
    if (size == 0) {
        return null;
    }

    int hash = (key == null) ? 0 : hash(key);
    for (Entry<K,V> e = table[indexFor(hash, table.length)];
         e != null;
         e = e.next) {
        Object k;
        if (e.hash == hash &&
            ((k = e.key) == key || (key != null && key.equals(k))))
            return e;
    }
    return null;
}

No. Well usually not. Kind of? Maybe? If it really has to?

All kidding aside, if you want lookup speed this is where you find it. Only iteration is dealing with very rare hash collisions. If you want that explained look here.

---

Java 8 Update:

In java 8 ArrayList.contains() ... is the same. Yawn.

But HashMap.containsKey() now uses getNode(). Spiffy.

/**
 * Returns <tt>true</tt> if this map contains a mapping for the
 * specified key.
 *
 * @param   key   The key whose presence in this map is to be tested
 * @return <tt>true</tt> if this map contains a mapping for the specified
 * key.
 */
public boolean containsKey(Object key) {
    return getNode(hash(key), key) != null;
}

/**
 * Implements Map.get and related methods
 *
 * @param hash hash for key
 * @param key the key
 * @return the node, or null if none
 */
final Node<K,V> getNode(int hash, Object key) {
    Node<K,V>[] tab; Node<K,V> first, e; int n; K k;
    if ((tab = table) != null && (n = tab.length) > 0 &&
        (first = tab[(n - 1) & hash]) != null) {
        if (first.hash == hash && // always check first node
            ((k = first.key) == key || (key != null && key.equals(k))))
            return first;
        if ((e = first.next) != null) {
            if (first instanceof TreeNode)
                return ((TreeNode<K,V>)first).getTreeNode(hash, key);
            do {
                if (e.hash == hash &&
                    ((k = e.key) == key || (key != null && key.equals(k))))
                    return e;
            } while ((e = e.next) != null);
        }
    }
    return null;
}

It still occasionally iterates, as that while loop will tell you. But, again, this is rare.

I'd give details about the efficiency but that already has an answer here.

---

HashMap.containsKey() vs HashMap.get()

Since these both delegate the bulk of their work to the same method (genEntry() in 7 & getNode() in 8) I don't think you'll see much performance difference between them. Their iteration behavior will be identical.

If you like your java docs compiled and would rather click than search then try this.