Adding elements to a collection during iteration

Question

Is it possible to add elements to a collection while iterating over it?

More specifically, I would like to iterate over a collection, and if an element satisfies a certain condition I want to add some other elements to the collection, and make sure that these added elements are iterated over as well. (I realise that this could lead to an unterminating loop, but I'm pretty sure it won't in my case.)

The Java Tutorial from Sun suggests this is not possible: "Note that Iterator.remove is the only safe way to modify a collection during iteration; the behavior is unspecified if the underlying collection is modified in any other way while the iteration is in progress."

So if I can't do what I want to do using iterators, what do you suggest I do?

Answer 1

I tired ListIterator but it didn't help my case, where you have to use the list while adding to it. Here's what works for me:

Use LinkedList.

LinkedList<String> l = new LinkedList<String>();
l.addLast("A");

while(!l.isEmpty()){
    String str = l.removeFirst();
    if(/* Condition for adding new element*/)
        l.addLast("<New Element>");
    else
        System.out.println(str);
}

This could give an exception or run into infinite loops. However, as you have mentioned

I'm pretty sure it won't in my case

checking corner cases in such code is your responsibility.

Answer 2

Even though we cannot add items to the same list during iteration, we can use Java 8's flatMap, to add new elements to a stream. This can be done on a condition. After this the added item can be processed.

Here is a Java example which shows how to add to the ongoing stream an object depending on a condition which is then processed with a condition:

List<Integer> intList = new ArrayList<>();
intList.add(1);
intList.add(2);
intList.add(3);

intList = intList.stream().flatMap(i -> {
    if (i == 2) return Stream.of(i, i * 10); // condition for adding the extra items
    return Stream.of(i);
}).map(i -> i + 1)
        .collect(Collectors.toList());

System.out.println(intList);

The output of the toy example is:

[2, 3, 21, 4]

Answer 3

I know its been quite old. But thought of its of any use to anyone else. Recently I came across this similar problem where I need a queue that is modifiable during iteration. I used listIterator to implement the same much in the same lines as of what Avi suggested -> Avi's Answer. See if this would suit for your need.

ModifyWhileIterateQueue.java

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.ListIterator;

public class ModifyWhileIterateQueue<T> {
        ListIterator<T> listIterator;
        int frontIndex;
        List<T> list;

        public ModifyWhileIterateQueue() {
                frontIndex = 0;
                list =  new ArrayList<T>();
                listIterator = list.listIterator();
        }

        public boolean hasUnservicedItems () {
                return frontIndex < list.size();  
        }

        public T deQueue() {
                if (frontIndex >= list.size()) {
                        return null;
                }
                return list.get(frontIndex++);
        }

        public void enQueue(T t) {
                listIterator.add(t); 
        }

        public List<T> getUnservicedItems() {
                return list.subList(frontIndex, list.size());
        }

        public List<T> getAllItems() {
                return list;
        }
}

ModifyWhileIterateQueueTest.java

    @Test
    public final void testModifyWhileIterate() {
            ModifyWhileIterateQueue<String> queue = new ModifyWhileIterateQueue<String>();
            queue.enQueue("one");
            queue.enQueue("two");
            queue.enQueue("three");

            for (int i=0; i< queue.getAllItems().size(); i++) {
                    if (i==1) {
                            queue.enQueue("four");
                    }
            }

            assertEquals(true, queue.hasUnservicedItems());
            assertEquals ("[one, two, three, four]", ""+ queue.getUnservicedItems());
            assertEquals ("[one, two, three, four]", ""+queue.getAllItems());
            assertEquals("one", queue.deQueue());

    }

Answer 4

How about building a Queue with the elements you want to iterate over; when you want to add elements, enqueue them at the end of the queue, and keep removing elements until the queue is empty. This is how a breadth-first search usually works.

Answer 5

In general, it's not safe, though for some collections it may be. The obvious alternative is to use some kind of for loop. But you didn't say what collection you're using, so that may or may not be possible.

Answer 6

Forget about iterators, they don't work for adding, only for removing. My answer applies to lists only, so don't punish me for not solving the problem for collections. Stick to the basics:

    List<ZeObj> myList = new ArrayList<ZeObj>();
    // populate the list with whatever
            ........
    int noItems = myList.size();
    for (int i = 0; i < noItems; i++) {
        ZeObj currItem = myList.get(i);
        // when you want to add, simply add the new item at last and
        // increment the stop condition
        if (currItem.asksForMore()) {
            myList.add(new ZeObj());
            noItems++;
        }
    }