Converting an array to a list in Java

05 Oct 2023

In Java, there may be times when you need to convert an array to a list. This can be useful when you want to manipulate the data in the array using the methods available in the List interface.

In this article, we will explore how to convert an array to a list in Java using different approaches.

Approach 1: Using the Arrays.asList() method

The Arrays class in Java provides a convenient method called asList() that can be used to convert an array to a list. This method takes the array as an argument and returns a fixed-size list backed by the array.

Here’s an example of how to use the Arrays.asList() method to convert an array to a list:

String[] array = { "Apple", "Banana", "Orange" };
List<String> list = Arrays.asList(array);

In the above code snippet, we have an array of strings called array. We then pass this array as an argument to the Arrays.asList() method, which returns a List<String>. The list now contains the elements of the array.

Approach 2: Using the ArrayList constructor

Alternatively, you can also convert an array to a list by manually copying the elements of the array to a new ArrayList. This approach is useful when you need a mutable list and want to be able to modify it.

Here’s an example of how to use the ArrayList constructor to convert an array to a list:

String[] array = { "Apple", "Banana", "Orange" };
List<String> list = new ArrayList<>(Arrays.asList(array));

In the code above, we create a new ArrayList by passing the Arrays.asList(array) as an argument to the ArrayList constructor. This creates a new instance of the ArrayList class with the elements of the array.

Conclusion

Converting an array to a list in Java can be easily achieved using the Arrays.asList() method or by manually copying the elements to an ArrayList. Both approaches allow you to leverage the functionality provided by the List interface.

Remember to make sure that the array and list are of the same type, as generics in Java provide type safety. Also, keep in mind that the resulting list may have limitations depending on the approach used, such as being fixed-size when using Arrays.asList().

I hope this article has helped you understand how to convert an array to a list in Java. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

#Java #Programming