Java Equivalent to Python Dictionaries
Solution 1
Python's dict
class is an implementation of what the Python documentation informally calls "mapping types". Internally, dict
is implemented using a hashtable.
Java's HashMap
class is an implementation of the Map
interface. Internally, HashMap
is implemented using a hashtable.
There are a few minor differences in syntax, and I believe the implementations are tuned slightly differently, but overall they are completely interchangeable.
Solution 2
The idea of dictionary and Map is similar. Both contain elements like
key1:value1, key2:value2 ... and so on
In Java, Map
is implemented different ways like HashMap
, or TreeMap
etc. put(), get()
operations are similar
import java.util.HashMap;
Map map = new HashMap();
// Put elements to the map
map.put("Ram", new Double(3434.34));
map.put("Krishna", new Double(123.22));
map.put("Hary", new Double(1378.00));
//to get elements
map.get("Krishna"); // =123.22
map.get("Hary"); // = 1378.00
See documentation of HashMap in java8 https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/HashMap.html
Solution 3
As far as I'm aware (I don't actually use java) dictionaries are just another name for a hashmap/hashtable.
Grabbing code from http://www.fluffycat.com/Java/HashMaps/ it seems they are used in a very similar manner, with a bit of extra java boiler-plate.
Solution 4
One difference between the two is that dict
has stricter requirements as to what data types can act as a key. Java will allow any object to work as a key -- although you should take care to ensure that the object's hashCode()
method returns a unique value that reflects its internal state. Python requires keys to fit its definition of hashable, which specifies that the object's hash code should never change over its lifetime.
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slimbo
Updated on July 08, 2022Comments
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slimbo almost 2 years
I am a long time user of Python and really like the way that the dictionaries are used. They are very intuitive and easy to use. Is there a good Java equivalent to python's dictionaries? I have heard of people using hashmaps and hashtables. Could someone explain the similarities and differences of using hashtables and hashmaps versus python's dictionaries?
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palantus over 14 yearsJava even has a Dictionary interface which is implemented by Hashtable. HashMap is generally preferred, though.
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Daniel Pryden over 14 yearsThis is true, but it's not actually enforced by either language. Obviously in either a Java
hashCode()
method or in a Python__hash__()
method, you should try to return a unique value that reflects internal state. In either Java or Python, if you have a mutable object, it probably shouldn't be a hashtable key, so it makes sense to throw an exception from thehashCode()
or__hash__()
methods. -
Broken_Window over 9 years@Michael Myers : Dictionary is deprecated, Oracle recommends to use Map instead docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/Dictionary.html
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Kamran Bigdely almost 8 yearsNo example provided :(
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Daniel Pryden almost 8 years@kami: What kind of example would you want?
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Kamran Bigdely almost 8 yearsAny example that illustrates a java equivalent of python's dictionary in action. A useful answer include some example because most people come here to see examples and use them in their code.
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Daniel Pryden almost 8 years@kami: I don't think that's right. The question doesn't ask "what is the equivalent Java code for some specific Python code". In fact the question doesn't contain any code at all. I'm not sure what the value would be of adding examples of using the Map API in Java; this answer already links to the canonical documentation. If you want to learn Java, start with a tutorial, not Stack Overflow. I certainly don't think this answer warrants a downvote just because it lacks a copy-pasteable code sample.
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Ron Kalian over 5 yearsIn my experience, almost anything in Python can be a dict key ... what's the 'stricter requirement'?
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0xc0de about 5 yearsSad to read that comment saying "most people come here to see examples and use them in their code", I hope this is wrong.
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KingLogic about 3 years@0xc0de unfortunately most people really do just copy and paste.
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code about 3 yearsComments in Java are
//
, not#
:)