What is the difference between Array and vector?-

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Array is a set of related data type and static whereas vector is a growable array of objects and dynamic.

In Java, both arrays and vectors are used to store and manipulate collections of elements. However, there are some key differences between them:

  1. Data Type:
    • Array: An array can only store elements of the same data type. Once the size of an array is defined, it cannot be changed.
    • Vector: A Vector can store elements of different data types. It can dynamically grow or shrink in size.
  2. Synchronization:
    • Array: Arrays in Java are not synchronized. This means that if multiple threads access an array concurrently and at least one of the threads modifies the array, external synchronization is required to ensure thread safety.
    • Vector: Vectors are synchronized by default. Each method of the Vector class is synchronized, making it thread-safe. This ensures that multiple threads cannot modify the vector at the same time.
  3. Performance:
    • Array: Generally, arrays are considered more efficient in terms of performance compared to vectors because they are not synchronized and have a simpler underlying structure.
    • Vector: Due to synchronization overhead, vectors may be less efficient than arrays in certain situations, especially when thread safety is not a concern.
  4. Methods:
    • Array: Arrays provide a fixed set of methods and do not have built-in methods for dynamic resizing.
    • Vector: Vectors provide methods like addElement(), removeElement(), and removeAllElements() for dynamic resizing, making them more flexible when the size of the collection needs to change.
  5. Usage:
    • Array: Arrays are generally used when the size of the collection is known and fixed at compile time.
    • Vector: Vectors are used when the size of the collection may change during runtime or when synchronization is needed in a multithreaded environment.

In modern Java development, the use of ArrayList (from the java.util package) is often preferred over Vector due to better performance in most scenarios and the ability to use other synchronization mechanisms if needed.