Java Collection means a single unit of objects. In other words, the java collection framework provides many classes and interfaces. For instance java.util.Collection, java.util.Map, etc. In addition to this, the following are few interfaces –
- The Iterable interface is the one that acts as the root interface for all collection classes.
- The collection interface is the one that builds the foundation on which the collection framework depends.
- The Map interface allows us to store data in key-value pairs.
In addition, collection offers following advantages –
- Consistent and reusable classes/API.
- Better performance as less development time.
- Clean and efficient code.
The collection framework, therefore, helps reduce designing efforts and increases performance. Below is the hierarchy of collection framework –
