Vector
layout: default
title: Vector
The predecessor to ArrayList is Vector.
* ArrayList is "roughly equivalent" to Vector.[1]
* Like ArrayList, Vector also has a growable array of objects.
* Unlike ArrayList, Vector is thread-safe.
thread-safe¶
A program can have multiple sub-programs that run at (essentially) the same time.
If a sub-program, called a "thread," changes an object's data when another sub-program does not expect it to, unexpected results can occur.
Vector's methods keep this thread-related problem from happening, so it is considered "thread-safe".
Vector's thread-safety makes it slower than ArrayList.
* Only use Vector if you really need thread safety.
Practice Exercise¶
You will almost never use
Vector. It is a legacy class that has been around since the beginning of Java.
[1] https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/ArrayList.html