What is iterator in Java with example?
Sarah Cherry
Published Feb 08, 2026
What is iterator in Java with example?
An Iterator is an object that can be used to loop through collections, like ArrayList and HashSet. It is called an “iterator” because “iterating” is the technical term for looping. To use an Iterator, you must import it from the java. util package.
How do I use an iterator in Java?
Java – How to Use Iterator?
- Obtain an iterator to the start of the collection by calling the collection’s iterator( ) method.
- Set up a loop that makes a call to hasNext( ). Have the loop iterate as long as hasNext( ) returns true.
- Within the loop, obtain each element by calling next( ).
How many iterator methods are there?
So all three methods of Iterator interface are available for ListIterator. In addition, there are six more methods.
Why iterators are used in Java?
Iterator in Java is used to traverse each and every element in the collection. Using it, traverse, obtain each element or you can even remove. ListIterator extends Iterator to allow bidirectional traversal of a list, and the modification of elements. The iterator() method is provided by every Collection class.
What does iterator mean?
In computer programming, an iterator is an object that enables a programmer to traverse a container, particularly lists. Various types of iterators are often provided via a container’s interface. An iterator is behaviorally similar to a database cursor.
What is iterator in java collection framework?
Java Iterator Interface of java collections allows us to access elements of the collection and is used to iterate over the elements in the collection(Map, List or Set). It helps to easily retrieve the elements of a collection and perform operations on each element.
What is LinkedList Java?
Linked List is a part of the Collection framework present in java. util package. This class is an implementation of the LinkedList data structure which is a linear data structure where the elements are not stored in contiguous locations and every element is a separate object with a data part and address part.
How java iterator works internally?
The iterator for most simple java collections just keeps a pointer of where in the collection the iterator is currently at. Calling . next() will advance the iterator. It doesn’t copy the elements, and just returns the next element from the collection.
What is difference between iterator and ListIterator?
The basic difference between Iterator and ListIterator is that both being cursor, Iterator can traverse elements in a collection only in forward direction. On the other hand, the ListIterator can traverse in both forward and backward directions. You can retrieve an index of an element using Iterator.
What is iterator protocol?
The iterator protocol defines a standard way to produce a sequence of values (either finite or infinite), and potentially a return value when all values have been generated. An object is an iterator when it implements a next() method with the following semantics: Property. Value. next()
What is iteration in programming?
Iteration in programming means repeating steps, or instructions , over and over again. This is often called a ‘loop’. Iteration is the process of repeating steps.
What is the difference between iterator and enumeration?
Iterator can do modifications (e.g using remove() method it removes the element from the Collection during traversal). Enumeration interface acts as a read only interface, one can not do any modifications to Collection while traversing the elements of the Collection.
Can we write our own iterator in Java?
Even though arrays in Java implements java.lang.Cloneable and java.io.Serializable interfaces, and we can even use them in for-each loops, they don’t implement the Iterable interface. But we can easily get an iterator over a primitive array in Java using any of the following-discussed methods: 1. Writing our own iterator
How does the Iterator interface work in Java?
Iterator Methods. Description: Returns the next element in the collection.
What does this Java Iterator do?
Java Iterator. An Iterator is an object that can be used to loop through collections,like ArrayList and HashSet.
Does a Java container offer a fail-safe iterator?
The Java Collection supports two types of iterators; Fail Fast and Fail Safe. These iterators are very useful in exception handling. The Fail fast iterator aborts the operation as soon it exposes failures and stops the entire operation. Comparatively, Fail Safe iterator doesn’t abort the operation in case of a failure.