Queue Interface

Table Of Contents
  1. Queue Interface
  2. LinkedList
  3. PriorityQueue
  4. ArrayDeque
  5. Conclusion

Queue Interface

The Queue interface has several sub interfaces and implementations that cater to different use cases, such as Deque, Blocking Queue, and Transfer Queue.

Basic Queue Operations

  • Adding elements: offer(E e) – inserts the specified element into the queue.
  • Removing elements: poll() – retrieves and removes the head of the queue, returning null if the queue is empty.
  • Accessing elements: peek() – retrieves, but does not remove, the head of the queue, returning null if the queue is empty.

LinkedList

The LinkedList class implements both the List and Deque interfaces, making it a versatile choice for both list and queue operations.

Java
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.Queue;
public class QueueExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Example using soccer player names
        Queue<String> soccerPlayers = new LinkedList<>();        
        // Adding elements
        soccerPlayers.offer("Lionel Messi");
        soccerPlayers.offer("Cristiano Ronaldo");
        soccerPlayers.offer("Neymar Jr");        
        // Accessing the head element
        System.out.println("Head player: " + soccerPlayers.peek()); // Output: Lionel Messi        
        // Removing elements
        soccerPlayers.poll();
        System.out.println("After poll: " + soccerPlayers); // Output: [Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr]        
        // Iterating over elements
        for (String player : soccerPlayers) {
            System.out.println("Player: " + player);
        }
    }
}

PriorityQueue

The PriorityQueue class provides an implementation of the Queue interface that orders its elements according to their natural ordering or by a Comparator provided at queue construction time.

Java
import java.util.PriorityQueue;
import java.util.Queue;

public class PriorityQueueExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Example using tennis player names with priority based on name length
        Queue<String> tennisPlayers = new PriorityQueue<>((a, b) -> a.length() - b.length());        
        // Adding elements
        tennisPlayers.offer("Roger Federer");
        tennisPlayers.offer("Rafael Nadal");
        tennisPlayers.offer("Novak Djokovic");        
        // Accessing the head element
        System.out.println("Head player: " + tennisPlayers.peek()); // Output: Rafael Nadal        
        // Removing elements
        tennisPlayers.poll();
        System.out.println("After poll: " + tennisPlayers); // Output: [Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer]        
        // Iterating over elements
        for (String player : tennisPlayers) {
            System.out.println("Player: " + player);
        }
    }
}

ArrayDeque

The ArrayDeque class is a resizable array implementation of the Deque interface and can be used both as a queue (FIFO) and as a stack (LIFO).

Java
import java.util.ArrayDeque;
import java.util.Queue;

public class ArrayDequeExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Example using cricket player names
        Queue<String> cricketPlayers = new ArrayDeque<>();        
        // Adding elements
        cricketPlayers.offer("Virat Kohli");
        cricketPlayers.offer("Steve Smith");
        cricketPlayers.offer("Kane Williamson");        
        // Accessing the head element
        System.out.println("Head player: " + cricketPlayers.peek()); // Output: Virat Kohli        
        // Removing elements
        cricketPlayers.poll();
        System.out.println("After poll: " + cricketPlayers); // Output: [Steve Smith, Kane Williamson]        
        // Iterating over elements
        for (String player : cricketPlayers) {
            System.out.println("Player: " + player);
        }
    }
}

Conclusion

While the Queue interface is not part of the List hierarchy, it is an essential part of the Java Collections Framework, providing a different set of functionalities suited for holding and processing elements in a specific order. Various implementations of Queue offer different behaviors and performance characteristics, making it a versatile tool for developers.

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