Why doesn't LinkedHashMap provide access by index?

java linkedhashmap
Eternal Noob picture Eternal Noob · Apr 14, 2011 · Viewed 13.1k times · Source

From Javadoc:
Hash table and linked list implementation of the Map interface, with predictable iteration order. This implementation differs from HashMap in that it maintains a doubly-linked list running through all of its entries.

If it is so, then why doesn't it provide object access like List in java, list.get(index);

UPDATE

I had implemented LRU Cache using LinkedHashMap. My algorithm required me to access LRU Object from the cache. That's why I required random access, but I think that will cost me bad performance, so I have changed the logic and I am accessing the LRU object just when Cache is full...using removeEldestEntry()

Thank you all...

Answer

Sean Patrick Floyd picture Sean Patrick Floyd · Apr 14, 2011

a) Because the entries are linked, not randomly accessible. The performance would be miserable, O(N) if I'm not in error.

b) Because there is no interface to back up this functionality. So the choice would be to either introduce a dedicated interface just for this (badly performing) Implementation or require clients to program against implementation classes instead of interfaces

Btw with Guava there's a simple solution for you:

Iterables.get(map.values(), offset);

And for caching look at Guava's MapMaker and it's expiration features.

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