ArrayList Vs LinkedList Vs Vector

 

📊 Overview Table:

Feature ArrayList LinkedList Vector
Order Maintains insertion order Maintains insertion order Maintains insertion order
Duplicates Allowed Allowed Allowed
Thread-safe ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes (synchronized)
Performance (read) ✅ Fast (O(1) for index access) ❌ Slower (O(n) traversal) ✅ Similar to ArrayList (but slower)
Performance (add/remove) ❌ Slower for middle elements (O(n)) ✅ Faster for add/remove at head or tail ❌ Slower due to synchronization
Data structure used Dynamic Array Doubly Linked List Dynamic Array
Preferred Use Frequent random access Frequent insert/delete operations Legacy code with thread-safety needed

🧪 Examples:

🔹 ArrayList

List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();
list.add("Apple");
list.get(0); // Fast index access

🔸 LinkedList

List<String> list = new LinkedList<>();
list.addFirst("Banana"); // Efficient for head/tail operations

🔹 Vector

List<String> list = new Vector<>();
list.add("Mango"); // Thread-safe, but slower

🧠 When to Use What?

Scenario Use
Need fast random access ✅ ArrayList
Need frequent insert/delete in middle ✅ LinkedList
Need thread safety (without external sync) ✅ Vector (or better: Collections.synchronizedList())

📝 Summary:

  • Use ArrayList for general-purpose, fast read-heavy operations.
  • Use LinkedList when you need many insertions/deletions.
  • Use Vector only for legacy code or basic thread-safety needs.
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