1 /* Set.java -- A collection that prohibits duplicates
2 Copyright (C) 1998, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 This file is part of GNU Classpath.
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13 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
14 General Public License for more details.
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18 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA
21 Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is
22 making a combined work based on this library. Thus, the terms and
23 conditions of the GNU General Public License cover the whole
26 As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you
27 permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
28 executable, regardless of the license terms of these independent
29 modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting executable under
30 terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each linked
31 independent module, the terms and conditions of the license of that
32 module. An independent module is a module which is not derived from
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34 this exception to your version of the library, but you are not
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36 exception statement from your version. */
42 * A collection that contains no duplicates. In other words, for two set
43 * elements e1 and e2, <code>e1.equals(e2)</code> returns false. There
44 * are additional stipulations on <code>add</code>, <code>equals</code>
45 * and <code>hashCode</code>, as well as the requirements that constructors
46 * do not permit duplicate elements. The Set interface is incompatible with
47 * List; you cannot implement both simultaneously.
50 * Note: Be careful about using mutable objects in sets. In particular,
51 * if a mutable object changes to become equal to another set element, you
52 * have violated the contract. As a special case of this, a Set is not
53 * allowed to be an element of itself, without risking undefined behavior.
55 * @author Original author unknown
56 * @author Eric Blake <ebb9@email.byu.edu>
64 * @see Collections#singleton(Object)
65 * @see Collections#EMPTY_SET
67 * @status updated to 1.4
69 public interface Set
extends Collection
72 * Adds the specified element to the set if it is not already present
73 * (optional operation). In particular, the comparison algorithm is
74 * <code>o == null ? e == null : o.equals(e)</code>. Sets need not permit
75 * all values, and may document what exceptions will be thrown if
76 * a value is not permitted.
78 * @param o the object to add
79 * @return true if the object was not previously in the set
80 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
81 * @throws ClassCastException if the class of o prevents it from being added
82 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if some aspect of o prevents it from
84 * @throws NullPointerException if null is not permitted in this set
86 boolean add(Object o
);
89 * Adds all of the elements of the given collection to this set (optional
90 * operation). If the argument is also a Set, this returns the mathematical
91 * <i>union</i> of the two. The behavior is unspecified if the set is
92 * modified while this is taking place.
94 * @param c the collection to add
95 * @return true if the set changed as a result
96 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
97 * @throws ClassCastException if the class of an element prevents it from
99 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if something about an element prevents
100 * it from being added
101 * @throws NullPointerException if null is not permitted in this set, or
102 * if the argument c is null
105 boolean addAll(Collection c
);
108 * Removes all elements from this set (optional operation). This set will
109 * be empty afterwords, unless an exception occurs.
111 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
116 * Returns true if the set contains the specified element. In other words,
117 * this looks for <code>o == null ? e == null : o.equals(e)</code>.
119 * @param o the object to look for
120 * @return true if it is found in the set
122 boolean contains(Object o
);
125 * Returns true if this set contains all elements in the specified
126 * collection. If the argument is also a set, this is the <i>subset</i>
129 * @param c the collection to check membership in
130 * @return true if all elements in this set are in c
131 * @throws NullPointerException if c is null
132 * @see #contains(Object)
134 boolean containsAll(Collection c
);
137 * Compares the specified object to this for equality. For sets, the object
138 * must be a set, the two must have the same size, and every element in
139 * one must be in the other.
141 * @param o the object to compare to
142 * @return true if it is an equal set
144 boolean equals(Object o
);
147 * Returns the hash code for this set. In order to satisfy the contract of
148 * equals, this is the sum of the hashcode of all elements in the set.
150 * @return the sum of the hashcodes of all set elements
155 * Returns true if the set contains no elements.
157 * @return true if the set is empty
162 * Returns an iterator over the set. The iterator has no specific order,
163 * unless further specified.
165 * @return a set iterator
170 * Removes the specified element from this set (optional operation). If
171 * an element e exists, <code>o == null ? e == null : o.equals(e)</code>,
172 * it is removed from the set.
174 * @param o the object to remove
175 * @return true if the set changed (an object was removed)
176 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
178 boolean remove(Object o
);
181 * Removes from this set all elements contained in the specified collection
182 * (optional operation). If the argument is a set, this returns the
183 * <i>asymmetric set difference</i> of the two sets.
185 * @param c the collection to remove from this set
186 * @return true if this set changed as a result
187 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
188 * @throws NullPointerException if c is null
189 * @see #remove(Object)
191 boolean removeAll(Collection c
);
194 * Retains only the elements in this set that are also in the specified
195 * collection (optional operation). If the argument is also a set, this
196 * performs the <i>intersection</i> of the two sets.
198 * @param c the collection to keep
199 * @return true if this set was modified
200 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this operation is not allowed
201 * @throws NullPointerException if c is null
202 * @see #remove(Object)
204 boolean retainAll(Collection c
);
207 * Returns the number of elements in the set. If there are more
208 * than Integer.MAX_VALUE mappings, return Integer.MAX_VALUE. This is
209 * the <i>cardinality</i> of the set.
211 * @return the number of elements
216 * Returns an array containing the elements of this set. If the set
217 * makes a guarantee about iteration order, the array has the same
218 * order. The array is distinct from the set; modifying one does not
221 * @return an array of this set's elements
222 * @see #toArray(Object[])
227 * Returns an array containing the elements of this set, of the same runtime
228 * type of the argument. If the given set is large enough, it is reused,
229 * and null is inserted in the first unused slot. Otherwise, reflection
230 * is used to build a new array. If the set makes a guarantee about iteration
231 * order, the array has the same order. The array is distinct from the set;
232 * modifying one does not affect the other.
234 * @param a the array to determine the return type; if it is big enough
235 * it is used and returned
236 * @return an array holding the elements of the set
237 * @throws ArrayStoreException if the runtime type of a is not a supertype
238 * of all elements in the set
239 * @throws NullPointerException if a is null
242 Object
[] toArray(Object
[] a
);