In this guide, we will learn the LinkedHashSet class implementation of the Set interface with examples.

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LinkedHashSet Class is a Hash table and linked list implementation of the Set interface, with predictable iteration order. This implementation differs from HashSet in that it maintains a doubly-linked list running through all of its entries. This linked list defines the iteration ordering, which is the order in which elements were inserted into the set (insertion-order).

What Will We Learn?

Overview of LinkedHashSet class
Create LinkedHashSet Example
LinkedHashSet Insertion Order Example
LinkedHashSet remove API's with Example
Iterating over a LinkedHashSet
LinkedHashSet with User-defined objects
How to make LinkedHashSet thread safe?

1. Overview of LinkedHashSet class

Java LinkedHashSet class is a Hash table and Linked list implementation of the Set interface.
Contains unique elements only like HashSet.
Provides all optional set operations, and permits null elements.
Maintains insertion order.
LinkedHashSet is not synchronized - If multiple threads access a linked hash set concurrently, and at least one of the threads modifies the set, it must be synchronized externally. Example:

   Set s = Collections.synchronizedSet(new LinkedHashSet(...));

2. Create LinkedHashSet Example

// Creating a HashSet
LinkedHashSet<String> daysOfWeek = new LinkedHashSet<>();

// Adding new elements to the HashSet
daysOfWeek.add("Monday");
daysOfWeek.add("Tuesday");
daysOfWeek.add("Wednesday");
daysOfWeek.add("Thursday");
daysOfWeek.add("Friday");
daysOfWeek.add("Saturday");
daysOfWeek.add("Sunday");

// Adding duplicate elements will be ignored
daysOfWeek.add("Monday");

System.out.println(daysOfWeek);

Output:

[Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday]

Note that it maintains insertion order.

3. LinkedHashSet Insertion Order Example

package com.ramesh.corejava.devguide.classestypes.set;

import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
import java.util.Set;

public class SetInterfaceLinkedHashSetImpl {
 public static void main(String[] args) {
  linkedHashSetDemo();
 }

 private static void linkedHashSetDemo() {
  Set<String> set = new LinkedHashSet<>();
  set.add("element 1");
  set.add("element 2");
  set.add("element 3");
  set.add("element 4");
  Iterator<String> iterator = set.iterator();
  while (iterator.hasNext()) {
   String str = iterator.next();
   System.out.println("LinkedHashSet does maintain " 
   + " insertion order ---" + str);
  }

  // loop using java 8
  set.forEach(str -> System.out.println("LinkedHashSet does "
  + " maintain insertion order ---" + str));
 }
}

Output :

LinkedHashSet does maintain  insertion order ---element 1
LinkedHashSet does maintain  insertion order ---element 2
LinkedHashSet does maintain  insertion order ---element 3
LinkedHashSet does maintain  insertion order ---element 4
LinkedHashSet does  maintain insertion order ---element 1
LinkedHashSet does  maintain insertion order ---element 2
LinkedHashSet does  maintain insertion order ---element 3
LinkedHashSet does  maintain insertion order ---element 4

4. LinkedHashSet remove API's with Example

remove(Object o)

Remove an element from a LinkedHashSet (The remove() method returns false if the element does not exist in the LinkedHashSet )

Set<Integer> numbers = new LinkedHashSet<>();
numbers.add(2);
numbers.add(3);
numbers.add(4);
numbers.add(5);
numbers.add(6);
numbers.add(7);
numbers.add(8);
numbers.add(9);
numbers.add(10);

System.out.println("numbers : " + numbers);

boolean isRemoved = numbers.remove(10);
System.out.println("After remove(10) => " + numbers);

removeAll(Collection<?> c)

Remove all elements belonging to a given collection from a LinkedHashSet.

Set<Integer> numbers = new LinkedHashSet<>();
numbers.add(2);
numbers.add(3);
numbers.add(4);
numbers.add(5);
numbers.add(6);
numbers.add(7);
numbers.add(8);
numbers.add(9);
numbers.add(10);
List<Integer> perfectSquares = new ArrayList<>();
perfectSquares.add(4);
perfectSquares.add(9);

numbers.removeAll(perfectSquares);
System.out.println("After removeAll(perfectSquares) => " + numbers);

removeIf(Predicate<? super Integer> filter)

Remove all elements matching a given predicate

numbers.removeIf(num -> num % 2 == 0);
System.out.println("After removeIf() => " + numbers);

clear()

Remove all elements from LinkedHashSet(clear it completely)

numbers.clear();
System.out.println("After clear() => " + numbers);

5. Iterating over a LinkedHashSet

The following example shows different ways of iterating over a HashSet

Iterate over a LinkedHashSet using Java 8 forEach and lambda expression.
Iterate over a LinkedHashSet using iterator().
Iterate over a LinkedHashSet using iterator() and Java 8 forEachRemaining() method.
Iterate over a LinkedHashSet using a simple for-each loop.

iterator()

Set<String> list = new LinkedHashSet<>();
list.add("element 1");
list.add("element 2");
list.add("element 3");
list.add("element 4");

// using Iterator
Iterator<String> iterator = list.iterator();
while (iterator.hasNext()) {
    String str = iterator.next();
    System.out.println(" only forward direction ---" + str);
}

Advance for() loop

// Using advanced for loop
for (String str : list) {
    System.out.println(" only forward direction ---" + str);
}

forEachRemaining()

// Java 8
list.forEachRemaining(str -> System.out.println(" only forward direction ---" + str));

forEach()

// Java 8
list.forEach(str -> System.out.println(" only forward direction ---" + str));

6. LinkedHashSet with User defined objects

This example shows how to create a LinkedHashSet of user defined objects and it maintains insertion order.

import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.Set;

class Customer {
    private long id;
    private String name;

    public Customer(long id, String name) {
        this.id = id;
        this.name = name;
    }

    public long getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(long id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    // Two customers are equal if their IDs are equal
    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object o) {
        if (this == o) return true;
        if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;
        Customer customer = (Customer) o;
        return id == customer.id;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        return Objects.hash(id);
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Customer{" +
                "id=" + id +
                ", name='" + name + '\'' +
                '}';
    }
}

public class HashSetUserDefinedObjectExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Set<Customer> customers = new LinkedHashSet<>();
        customers.add(new Customer(101, "Rajeev"));
        customers.add(new Customer(102, "Sachin"));
        customers.add(new Customer(103, "Chris"));

        /*
          HashSet will use the `equals()` & `hashCode()` implementations 
          of the Customer class to check for duplicates and ignore them
        */
        customers.add(new Customer(101, "Rajeev"));

        System.out.println(customers);
    }
}

7. How to make LinkedHashSet thread safe?

This class implementation is not synchronized so it is not thread-safe. If multiple threads access a hash set concurrently, and at least one of the threads modifies the set, it must be synchronized externally.

LinkedHashSet must be synchronized externally.

Example :

// HashSet is not synchronized
private static void synchronizedHashSetDemo() {
    Set<String> set = new LinkedHashSet<>();
    Set<String> synchronizedSet = Collections.synchronizedSet(set);
}

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