Unit 7 ArrayLists - Teacher notebook
Lesson on the College Board Unit 6 Arrays. This is the teacher notebook.
7.1 Intro to ArrayLists
-
An ArrayList is a utility from the
java.utilpackage -
To declare a variable, use the format
ArrayList<DataType> variableName = new ArrayList<DataType>(initial number of elements); -
Unlike arrays, ArrayLists are mutable (can be resized after initialization)
-
Functions as a more versatile array
- Does technically take more space than an array but for the purposes of CSA it shouldn’t matter
- Does technically take more space than an array but for the purposes of CSA it shouldn’t matter
Difference between Array and Arraylist:
| Array | Arraylist |
|---|---|
| Fixed length | Resizable length |
| Fundamental Java Feature | Part of a Framework |
| An object with no methods | A Class with many methods |
| Not very flexible | Flexible |
| Can store primitives | Cannot store primitives - stores objects instead |
Example of Array: Basketball players on court
Example of Arraylist: Dodgeball players on court
Question
When should we use ArrayLists vs Arrays?
Answer: ArrayLists provide enhanced support for iteration, such as using enhanced for loops (for-each) or iterators, which can be more readable and convenient than iterating through arrays. ArrayLists also support generic types, making it easier to work with type-safe collections, while arrays are not type-safe. ArrayLists should be used when sizing is dynamic, while in fixed size situations, just a regular Array is ideal.
Showing how ArrayLists are mutable:
import java.util.ArrayList;
class ArrayListExample {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Size of ArrayList
int n = 5;
// Declaring ArrayList with initial size n
ArrayList<Integer> arr1 = new ArrayList<Integer>(n);
// Declaring ArrayList without initial size
ArrayList<Integer> arr2 = new ArrayList<Integer>();
// Printing ArrayList
System.out.println("Array 1:" + arr1);
System.out.println("Array 2:" + arr2);
// Appending new elements to the end of the list
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
arr1.add(i);
arr2.add(i);
}
// Printing ArrayList
System.out.println("Array 1:" + arr1);
System.out.println("Array 2:" + arr2);
}
}
ArrayListExample.main(null);
Array 1:[]
Array 2:[]
Array 1:[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Array 2:[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
7.1 Popcorn Hack
Create an ArrayList that stores the integers 5, 8, 14, 18, 24, 39, and 56 and only print the numbers that are divisible by 3.
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class DivisibleBy3 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// declare variable and add integers
int n = 5;
ArrayList<Integer> db3 = new ArrayList<Integer>(n);
db3.add(5);
db3.add(8);
db3.add(14);
db3.add(18);
db3.add(24);
db3.add(39);
db3.add(56);
System.out.println("Numbers divisble by 3:");
for(int number : db3){
if(number % 3 == 0){
System.out.println(number);
}
}
}
}
DivisibleBy3.main(null);
Numbers divisble by 3:
18
24
39
Vocabulary Refresher
-
An element is a single value in the array
-
The **index** of an element is the position of the element in the array or ArrayList
- The first index of an ArrayList, like arrays is also 0
- The first index of an ArrayList, like arrays is also 0
-
The length of an array is the number of elements in the array.
7.2 Arraylist Methods
- add()
- Adding a value to the ArrayList
- Can be used to create an element at a specific index in the ArrayList - when this happens, everything at the positions of index and higher are moved to the right by 1
- get()
- Get the value of an index in the ArrayList
- set()
- Change the value at an index in the ArrayList
- remove()
- Delete the value at in index in the ArrayList
- clear()
- Remove all values in an ArrayList
- size()
- Get the length of the ArrayList
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> test = new ArrayList<>();
System.out.println(test.size());
test.add(1); //index 0
test.add(2); // index 1
test.add(3); // index 2
test.add(4); // index 3
test.add(5); // index 4
test.add(6); // index 5
test.add(7); // index 6
System.out.println(test);
int i = test.set(1, 200); // prints what used to be at index 1
int x = test.remove(4); // prints what was removed
System.out.println(i);
System.out.println(x);
System.out.println(test);
}
}
Test.main(null);
0
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
2
5
[1, 200, 3, 4, 6, 7]
Printing an ArrayList
- You can’t print an array without a loop
- You can print ArrayLists with just one
System.out.println()
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
ArrayList<String> arr = new ArrayList<String>(); //initializes the arraylist object
arr.add("I agree");
arr.add(0, "You agree");
System.out.println(arr);
arr.set(0, "They agree");
arr.add("I disagree");
arr.remove(2);
System.out.println();
System.out.println(arr);
}
}
Main.main(null);
[You agree, I agree]
[They agree, I agree]
7.2 Popcorn Hack
Finish the code below so that all duplicates in the ArrayList are removed.
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class RemoveDuplicates {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>(); // creating a new ArrayList of integers
// adding integers to the ArrayList
arr.add(1);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(13);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(2);
// Create a new ArrayList to store the elements without duplicates
ArrayList<Integer> uniqueArr = new ArrayList<>();
// Iterate through the original ArrayList and add elements to uniqueArr only if they are not already present
for (int element : arr) {
if (!uniqueArr.contains(element)) {
uniqueArr.add(element);
}
}
// Replace the original ArrayList with the one without duplicates
arr = uniqueArr;
// Print the ArrayList without duplicates
System.out.println("ArrayList without duplicates: " + arr);
}
}
RemoveDuplicates.main(null);
ArrayList without duplicates: [1, 7, 9, 13, 3, 2]
Array to ArrayList
- You can use the Arrays.asList() method to convert an existing array to an ArrayList
public class ArrayListFromArray
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
String[] names = {"Kim", "Tay", "Tran", "Ethan", "Sheng", "Raymond"};
ArrayList<String> namesList = new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(names));
System.out.println(namesList);
}
}
ArrayListFromArray.main(null);
[Kim, Tay, Tran, Ethan, Sheng, Raymond]
7.3 Traversing ArrayLists
-
You can traverse an ArrayList the same way as an array, with some exceptions:
- Deleting elements in the ArrayList while iterating over the ArrayList needs to be carefully done
- Using an enhanced for loop can result in the ConcurrentModificationException error
- Do not delete elements in an ArrayList while using an enhanced for loop
public static void main(String[] args)
{
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>();
arr.add(1);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(13);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(2);
for (int i = 0; i < arr.size(); i++) //for loop, would work the same as with an array
{
System.out.print(arr.get(i) + " ");
}
System.out.println();
for (Integer i : arr) //enhanced for loop without removing, same as an array
{
System.out.print(i + " ");
}
}
main(null);
1 7 9 13 3 7 9 2
1 7 9 13 3 7 9 2
public static void main(String[] args)
{
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>();
arr.add(1);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(13);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(2);
for (Integer i : arr) //throws a ConcurrentModificationException
{
if (i % 2 == 0)
{
arr.remove(i);
}
}
}
main(null);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
java.util.ConcurrentModificationException: null
at java.base/java.util.ArrayList$Itr.checkForComodification(ArrayList.java:1013)
at java.base/java.util.ArrayList$Itr.next(ArrayList.java:967)
at .main(#19:13)
at .(#38:1)
Popcorn Hack
Traverse the following ArrayList using a loop. Remove each element that is a multiple of 4.
import java.util.ArrayList;
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int n = 10;
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>(n);
arr.add(1);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(80);
arr.add(13);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(8);
arr.add(2);
arr.add(16);
for(int i = 9; i > 0; i = i-1){
if(arr.get(i) % 4 == 0){
arr.remove(i);
}
}
System.out.print(arr);
}
main(null);
[1, 7, 9, 13, 3, 7, 2]
7.4 Developing Algorithms Using ArrayLists
- For the most part, algorithms in ArrayLists and arrays are very similar.
Popcorn Hacks
Find the maximum, minimum, and sum of an ArrayList.
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> arr = new ArrayList<>();
arr.add(1);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(9);
arr.add(80);
arr.add(13);
arr.add(3);
arr.add(7);
arr.add(8);
arr.add(2);
arr.add(16);
int min = minimum(arr);
System.out.println("The minimum value in the ArrayList is: " + min);
}
static int minimum(ArrayList<Integer> arr) {
int min = arr.get(0); // Initialize min with the first element
for (int i = 1; i < arr.size(); i++) {
int current = arr.get(i);
if (current < min) {
min = current; // Update min if a smaller value is found
}
}
return min;
}
static int maximum(ArrayList<Integer> arr) {
int max = arr.get(0); // Initialize min with the first element
for (int i = 1; i < arr.size(); i++) {
int current = arr.get(i);
if (current < max) {
max = current; // Update max if a smaller value is found
}
}
return max;
}
static int sum(ArrayList<Integer> arr) {
int sum = 0; // Initialize sum to zero
for (int i = 0; i < arr.size(); i++) {
sum += arr.get(i); // Add the current element to the sum
}
return sum;
}
}
7.5 Searching
- Searching in an ArrayList allows you to find an element, if it exists, an index is returned
- All that is needed to search any linear structure is a standard for loop and if block
- Typically, if the element is not found then -1 is returned, however a boolean value can also be used
Example of Linear Search
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class LinearSearch {
public static int linearSearch(ArrayList<Integer> list, int target) {
for (int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {
if (list.get(i) == target) {
return i; // return index of target element if found
}
}
return -1; // return -1 if the target element is not in the array
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> numbers = new ArrayList<>();
numbers.add(5);
numbers.add(10);
numbers.add(15);
numbers.add(20);
numbers.add(25);
int target = 15; // target of search
int result = linearSearch(numbers, target);
if (result != -1) {
System.out.println(target + " found at index " + result);
} else {
System.out.println(target + " not found in the ArrayList.");
}
}
}
LinearSearch.main(null);
- The linear search algorithm searches for a specific target value (15 in this example) within the ArrayList by iterating through its elements one by one
- It checks if the element at the current index (list.get(i)) is equal to the target value
- If a match is found, the index is returned; else, it continues the loop until the end of the ArrayList is reached
Popcorn Hack
- Finish the code below, write code that checks if favoriteFlavor is in chipsBag
- Using a loop, print a message saying if favoriteFlavor is in the bag
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class FavoriteChip {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<String> chipsBag = new ArrayList<>();
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
// Add some chip flavors to the bag
chipsBag.add("BBQ");
chipsBag.add("Cheddar");
chipsBag.add("Salt and Pepper");
System.out.print("Enter your favorite chip flavor: ");
String favoriteFlavor = scanner.nextLine();
// Use a loop to check if favoriteFlavor is in chipsBag
boolean found = false;
for (String chip : chipsBag) {
if (chip.equalsIgnoreCase(favoriteFlavor)) {
found = true;
break; // Exit the loop once found
}
}
// Print a message based on whether the flavor was found or not
if (found) {
System.out.println(favoriteFlavor + " is in the bag.");
} else {
System.out.println(favoriteFlavor + " is not in the bag.");
}
}
}
7.6 Sorting
- There are 2 main sorting algorithms that Collegeboard focuses on, selection sort and insertion sort
Selection sort
- Selection sort divides the ArrayList into two “subarrays,” the first is sorted and the second is unsorted.
- Selection sort is easy to implement and is useful for sorting through small datasets.
Example of Selection sort
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class SelectionSort {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> arrayList = new ArrayList<>();
arrayList.add(64);
arrayList.add(25);
arrayList.add(12);
arrayList.add(22);
arrayList.add(11);
selectionSort(arrayList);
System.out.println("Sorted ArrayList: " + arrayList);
}
public static void selectionSort(ArrayList<Integer> arr) {
int n = arr.size();
for (int i = 0; i < n - 1; i++) {
int minIndex = i;
for (int j = i + 1; j < n; j++) {
if (arr.get(j) < arr.get(minIndex)) {
minIndex = j;
}
}
// Swap the found minimum element with the element at index i
int temp = arr.get(i);
arr.set(i, arr.get(minIndex));
arr.set(minIndex, temp);
}
}
}
SelectionSort.main(null);
-
Start with an ArrayList, [64, 25, 12, 22, 11]
-
We want to arrange these numbers in order from smallest to largest, like [11, 12, 22, 25, 64]
-
selectionSort starts at the beginning of the list and looks for the smallest number in the whole list. In this case, it’s 11
-
It swaps 11 with the first number in the list (which is 64) so that 11 comes first
-
Now, the list looks like [11, 25, 12, 22, 64]
-
The function repeats this process for the remaining numbers, finding the next smallest (which is 12) and putting it in the second position
-
This continues until all numbers are in order
-
The final sorted list is [11, 12, 22, 25, 64]
Insertion Sort
- In insertion sort, we assume that the first element is already sorted
- The second element is then taken and is either inserted before the first element or kept in place to make the first 2 elements sorted
- Insertion sort is adaptive as it does not need to perform as many comparisons and swaps as selection sort. If you expect the data to be partially ordered, insertion sort is the better option.
Example of Insertion Sort
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class InsertionSort {
public static void insertionSort(ArrayList<Integer> arr) {
int n = arr.size();
for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
int key = arr.get(i);
int j = i - 1;
// Move elements of arr[0..i-1] that are greater than key
// to one position ahead of their current position
while (j >= 0 && arr.get(j) > key) {
arr.set(j + 1, arr.get(j));
j = j - 1;
}
arr.set(j + 1, key);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> arrayList = new ArrayList<>();
arrayList.add(12);
arrayList.add(11);
arrayList.add(13);
arrayList.add(5);
arrayList.add(6);
System.out.println("Original ArrayList: " + arrayList);
insertionSort(arrayList);
System.out.println("Sorted ArrayList: " + arrayList);
}
}
InsertionSort.main(null);
-
Start with an ArrayList of numbers, [12, 11, 13, 5, 6]
-
We want to arrange these numbers in order from smallest to largest, like [5, 6, 11, 12, 13]
-
insertionSort starts with the second element (11)
-
It compares 11 to the elements on its left. It finds that 11 is smaller than 12, so it shifts 12 one position to the right to make space for 11
-
The ArrayList now looks like [11, 12, 13, 5, 6]
-
The function repeats this process for each element in the list. It moves 13 to the right place and then 5 and 6
-
After sorting all the elements, the ArrayList is now sorted in ascending order: [5, 6, 11, 12, 13]
7.6 Popcorn Hack
Given an ArrayList of String objects, sort the following ArrayLists on ascending order of word length.
1)
public class SortByLength {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<String> words = new ArrayList<>(); // creating new arraylist
// adding words to the list
words.add("theater");
words.add("connection");
words.add("seasonal");
words.add("feast");
words.add("meeting");
// sort the words by length in ascending order
for (int i = 0; i < words.size() - 1; i++) {
int minIndex = i;
for (int j = i + 1; j < words.size(); j++) {
if (words.get(j).length() < words.get(minIndex).length()) {
minIndex = j;
}
}
String temp = words.get(i);
words.set(i, words.get(minIndex));
words.set(minIndex, temp);
}
// print the sorted list
System.out.println(words);
}
}
SortByLength.main(null);
[feast, theater, meeting, seasonal, connection]
7.7 Ethical Issues Around Data Collection
When collecting data in a Java program, data security is VERY IMPORTANT. This involves any program that deals with
- Necessary personal information
- Information that is associated with results
Removing Data
- When collected data is no longer needed, be sure to remove the information from your application
- Removal of unnecessary data reduces risk of data breaches and protects sensitive information from unauthorized access
Anonymizing Data
- When collecting user information, avoid asking for private information to identify users ie. phone numbers, social security numbers, etc.
Collegeboard Example
Scanner inputScanner = new Scanner(System.in);
String fullName = inputScanner.nextLine();
// implementation of code
int identifier = fullName.hashCode();
fullName = null;
// further implementation
In this example…
- The user would type their full name in which it is used in the program
- After, the identifier equates to the hash value of the original string and the fullName is set to null
- Using the hash value instead of the actual name adds a degree of anonymity for the user
- Turning the fullName to null also indicates that the code no longer needs to store the name of the user
This minimizes the possible impact of the data by reducing the likelihood of unintentional exposure of the user’s name within the program.
Hacks for Unit 7
- Complete all questions and popcorn hacks
- Write a Java program that creates an ArrayList of integers. Create methods for adding, removing, setting, getting, etc numbers and also sort the list. Then, utilize user input to determine which methods will actually be run and enable the user to also determine the specific index that a number will be added, removed.
Challenge
You are given an ArrayList of Student objects. Each Student has a name (String) and a GPA (double). Create a program that sorts the Student objects in descending order of GPA.
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class ArrayListOperations {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Integer> numbers = new ArrayList<>();
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
while (true) {
System.out.println("ArrayList Operations:");
System.out.println("1. Add a number");
System.out.println("2. Remove a number");
System.out.println("3. Set a number");
System.out.println("4. Get a number");
System.out.println("5. Sort the list");
System.out.println("6. Exit");
System.out.print("Enter your choice: ");
int choice = scanner.nextInt();
switch (choice) {
case 1:
// Add a number at a specified index
System.out.print("Enter the number to add: ");
int numToAdd = scanner.nextInt();
System.out.print("Enter the index where you want to add the number: ");
int indexToAdd = scanner.nextInt();
addNumber(numbers, numToAdd, indexToAdd);
break;
case 2:
// Remove a number at a specified index
System.out.print("Enter the index of the number to remove: ");
int indexToRemove = scanner.nextInt();
removeNumber(numbers, indexToRemove);
break;
case 3:
// Set a number at a specified index
System.out.print("Enter the index to set: ");
int indexToSet = scanner.nextInt();
System.out.print("Enter the number to set: ");
int numToSet = scanner.nextInt();
setNumber(numbers, numToSet, indexToSet);
break;
case 4:
// Get a number at a specified index
System.out.print("Enter the index to get: ");
int indexToGet = scanner.nextInt();
getNumber(numbers, indexToGet);
break;
case 5:
// Sort the list in ascending order
sortList(numbers);
break;
case 6:
// Exit the program
System.out.println("Exiting the program.");
scanner.close();
System.exit(0);
default:
System.out.println("Invalid choice. Please try again.");
}
}
}
// Method to add a number at a specified index
static void addNumber(ArrayList<Integer> list, int num, int index) {
if (index >= 0 && index <= list.size()) {
list.add(index, num);
System.out.println("Number " + num + " added at index " + index);
} else {
System.out.println("Invalid index.");
}
}
// Method to remove a number at a specified index
static void removeNumber(ArrayList<Integer> list, int index) {
if (index >= 0 && index < list.size()) {
int removed = list.remove(index);
System.out.println("Number " + removed + " removed from index " + index);
} else {
System.out.println("Invalid index.");
}
}
// Method to set a number at a specified index
static void setNumber(ArrayList<Integer> list, int num, int index) {
if (index >= 0 && index < list.size()) {
list.set(index, num);
System.out.println("Number at index " + index + " set to " + num);
} else {
System.out.println("Invalid index.");
}
}
// Method to get a number at a specified index
static void getNumber(ArrayList<Integer> list, int index) {
if (index >= 0 && index < list.size()) {
int num = list.get(index);
System.out.println("Number at index " + index + " is: " + num);
} else {
System.out.println("Invalid index.");
}
}
// Method to sort the list in ascending order
static void sortList(ArrayList<Integer> list) {
Collections.sort(list);
System.out.println("List sorted in ascending order.");
}
}