100 Most Asked

Java Interview
QnA
Made by Want More

1. What is Java?

Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language that is widely used for

developing a variety of applications, including web, desktop, and mobile applications.

2. What is the difference between Java and JavaScript?

Java and JavaScript are two different programming languages with different purposes.
Java is used for building applications, while JavaScript is primarily used for adding
interactivity to web pages.

3. What is the main principle of Java programming?

Java follows the principle of "write once, run anywhere" (WORA), which means that
Java code can be compiled into bytecode and executed on any platform that has a
Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

4. What are the main features of Java?

Some of the main features of Java include platform independence, object-oriented

programming, automatic memory management (garbage collection), and strong type
checking.

5. What is a class in Java?

In Java, a class is a blueprint or template for creating objects. It defines the properties
(attributes) and behaviors (methods) that objects of that class can have.

6. What is an object in Java?

An object in Java is an instance of a class. It represents a specific entity or item that

can have its own set of attributes and behaviors defined by its class.

7. What is a method in Java?

A method in Java is a block of code that performs a specific task. It can be called or
invoked to execute its defined functionality.

8. What is the difference between a class and an object?

A class is a blueprint or template, while an object is an instance of that class. A class

defines the structure and behavior of objects, while objects represent specific
instances of the class.

9. What is inheritance in Java?

Inheritance is a mechanism in Java where a class can inherit properties and behaviors
from another class. It allows for code reuse and creating a hierarchical relationship
between classes.

10. What are the types of inheritance in Java?

Java supports single inheritance, where a class can inherit from only one superclass,
and multiple inheritance through interfaces, where a class can implement multiple
interfaces.

11. What is polymorphism in Java?

Polymorphism is the ability of an object to take on many forms. In Java, it allows

objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass, enabling
code flexibility and reusability.

12. What are the access modifiers in Java?

Java provides four access modifiers: public, private, protected, and default (no
modifier). They control the visibility and accessibility of classes, methods, and
variables.

13. What is encapsulation in Java?

Encapsulation is the process of hiding internal details and providing a public interface
to interact with an object. It helps in achieving data abstraction and protects data from
unauthorized access.

14. What is a constructor in Java?

A constructor in Java is a special method that is used to initialize objects of a class. It is

called automatically when an object is created and has the same name as the class.

15. What is the difference between a constructor and a method?

A constructor is a special method used for object initialization and is called

automatically when an object is created. A method, on the other hand, is a block of
code that performs a specific task and needs to be called explicitly.

16. What is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)?

The JVM is a crucial part of the Java platform. It is responsible for executing Java
bytecode and provides a runtime environment in which Java programs can run on any
hardware or operating system.

17. What is the Java Development Kit (JDK)?

The JDK is a software development kit provided by Oracle, which includes the
necessary tools and libraries to develop, compile, and run Java programs. It consists of
the JVM, compiler, and other utilities.

18. What is the difference between the JDK and the JRE?

The JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software development kit that includes the tools
needed to develop Java applications, while the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) is a
runtime environment required to run Java applications.

19. What is a package in Java?

A package in Java is a way of organizing related classes and interfaces. It provides a

namespace and helps in avoiding naming conflicts.

20. What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface?

An abstract class can have both abstract and non-abstract methods and can be
extended by other classes, while an interface only contains abstract method
declarations and can be implemented by classes.

21. What is a static method in Java?

A static method in Java is a method that belongs to the class rather than an instance
of the class. It can be called without creating an object of the class.

22. What is the keyword "final" used for in Java?

The "final" keyword in Java can be used to declare a variable, a method, or a class. A
final variable cannot be changed, a final method cannot be overridden, and a final
class cannot be inherited.

23. What is method overloading in Java?

Method overloading is the ability to define multiple methods with the same name but
different parameters in the same class. The appropriate method is called based on the
arguments passed.

24. What is method overriding in Java?

Method overriding is the ability to provide a different implementation of a method in a

subclass that is already defined in its superclass. It allows for the execution of the
overridden method instead of the superclass method.

25. What is the difference between method overloading and method overriding?

Method overloading involves defining multiple methods with the same name but
different parameters in the same class, while method overriding involves providing a
different implementation of a method in a subclass that is already defined in its
superclass.

26. What is the "this" keyword in Java?

The "this" keyword in Java refers to the current instance of a class. It can be used to
access instance variables, call instance methods, or invoke constructors.
27. What is a static variable in Java?

A static variable in Java is a variable that belongs to the class rather than an instance of
the class. It is shared among all instances of the class.

28. What is the purpose of the "final" keyword in method parameters?

The "final" keyword in method parameters is used to make the parameter value
unchangeable within the method. It ensures that the parameter cannot be reassigned
or modified.

29. What is the purpose of the "static" keyword in Java?

The "static" keyword in Java is used to declare variables, methods, and nested classes
that belong to the class itself, rather than instances of the class. It allows accessing
them without creating an object of the class.

30. What is the difference between "==" and ".equals()" in Java?

The "==" operator in Java is used to compare the equality of object references, while
the ".equals()" method is used to compare the equality of object values. The ".equals()"
method can be overridden to provide custom equality comparison.

31. What is the purpose of the "super" keyword in Java?

The "super" keyword in Java is used to refer to the superclass of a class. It can be used
to access superclass members, invoke superclass constructors, or differentiate
between superclass and subclass members with the same name.

32. What is a thread in Java?

A thread in Java is a lightweight unit of execution within a program. It allows

concurrent execution of multiple tasks or activities, enabling better utilization of
system resources.

33. How do you create and start a thread in Java?

To create and start a thread in Java, you can either extend the "Thread" class and
override the "run()" method, or implement the "Runnable" interface and pass it to a
new "Thread" object. Then call the "start()" method on the thread object to begin
execution.

34. What is synchronization in Java?

Synchronization in Java is a technique used to control the access and execution of

multiple threads to ensure that only one thread can access a shared resource or code
block at a time.

35. What is the difference between the "synchronized" block and the "synchronized"
method?
A "synchronized" block in Java allows a specific block of code to be
synchronized,ensuring that only one thread can execute it at a time. A "synchronized"
method applies synchronization to the entire method, making it mutually exclusive for
all threads.

36. What is the purpose of the "volatile" keyword in Java?

The "volatile" keyword in Java is used to indicate that a variable's value may be
modified by multiple threads. It ensures that any read or write operation on the
variable is directly performed on the main memory, rather than relying on CPU caches.

37. What is an exception in Java?

An exception in Java is an event that occurs during the execution of a program, which
disrupts the normal flow of instructions. It represents an error condition or an
exceptional circumstance.

38. What is the difference between checked and unchecked exceptions?

Checked exceptions are checked at compile-time, and the programmer is required to

handle or declare them using the "throws" keyword. Unchecked exceptions, on the
other hand, are not checked at compile-time, and the programmer is not obligated to
handle or declare them.

39. How do you handle exceptions in Java?

Exceptions in Java can be handled using try-catch blocks. The code that may throw an
exception is placed inside the try block, and if an exception occurs, it is caught and
handled in the catch block.

40. What is the purpose of the "finally" block in exception handling?

The "finally" block in Java is used to define a block of code that will be executed
regardless of whether an exception occurs or not. It is often used to release resources
or perform cleanup operations.

41. What is the difference between the "throw" and "throws" keywords in Java?

The "throw" keyword in Java is used to manually throw an exception, while the
"throws" keyword is used in method declarations to specify that the method may
throw certain types of exceptions.

42. What is the difference between checked exceptions and runtime exceptions?

Checked exceptions are checked at compile-time and must be handled or declared,

while runtime exceptions (unchecked exceptions) are not required to be handled or
declared.

43. What is the Java API?

The Java API (Application Programming Interface) is a collection of classes, interfaces,

and other resources provided by the Java Development Kit (JDK). It provides a set of
predefined classes and methods for building Java applications.

44. What is the difference between an ArrayList and a LinkedList?

An ArrayList is implemented as a resizable array, allowing fast random access but

slower insertion and removal of elements. A LinkedList is implemented as a doubly-
linked list, allowing fast insertion and removal but slower random access.

45. What is the difference between a HashSet and a TreeSet?

A HashSet in Java stores elements in no particular order, using a hash table for fast
access but does not maintain any specific order. A TreeSet stores elements in sorted
order and allows for efficient retrieval of elements based on their natural ordering or a
custom comparator.

46. What is the difference between the "equals()" method and the "hashCode()"
method?

The "equals()" method is used to compare the equality of objects based on their values,
while the "hashCode()" method is used to calculate a unique hash code value for an
object, typically used for efficient retrieval in hash-based data structures like
HashMaps.

47. What is the difference between a shallow copy and a deep copy?

A shallow copy creates a new object that shares the same references as the original
object, while a deep copy creates a new object and recursively copies all the
referenced objects as well, resulting in separate copies.

48. What is a lambda expression in Java?

A lambda expression in Java is an anonymous function that can be used to simplify the
syntax of functional interfaces. It allows for more concise and readable code, especially
when working with functional programming constructs.

49. What is functional programming in Java?

Functional programming in Java is a programming paradigm that emphasizes writing

programs using pure functions and immutable data. It involves treating functions as
first-class citizens and utilizing higher-order functions and lambda expressions.

50. What are the Java 8 features for functional programming?

Java 8 introduced several features to support functional programming, including

lambda expressions, functional interfaces, the Stream API for working with collections,
and default methods in interfaces.

51. What is the difference between an interface and an abstract class?

An interface in Java can only declare method signatures and constants but cannot
provide implementations, while an abstract class can have both method declarations
and concrete implementations. A class can implement multiple interfaces but can
inherit from only one abstract class.

52. What is the purpose of the "default" keyword in interface methods?

The "default" keyword in Java interfaces is used to define a default implementation for
a method. It allows adding new methods to existing interfaces without breaking the
implementations of classes that implement those interfaces.

53. What is the difference between a BufferedReader and a Scanner?

A BufferedReader in Java reads text from a character stream with efficient buffering,
while a Scanner can parse different types of data from various sources such as files,
strings, or standard input.

54. What is the purpose of the "StringBuilder" class in Java?

The "StringBuilder" class in Java is used to create and manipulate mutable sequences
of characters. It is more efficient than concatenating strings using the "+" operator, as
it avoids unnecessary object creations.

55. What is the difference between the "Comparable" and "Comparator" interfaces?

The "Comparable" interface is used to define a natural ordering for a class by

implementing the "compareTo()" method. The "Comparator" interface, on the other
hand, provides a way to define custom ordering by implementing the "compare()"
method and is independent of the class being compared.

56. What is the purpose of the "assert" keyword in Java?

The "assert" keyword in Java is used to perform assertions, which are checks placed in
the code to verify specific conditions. It is primarily used during development and
testing to catch potential bugs or invalid assumptions.

57. What is the difference between a local variable and an instance variable?

A local variable in Java is declared inside a method or a block and has a limited scope
within that method or block. An instance variable, also known as a member variable, is
declared within a class but outside any method and is accessible to all methods of the
class.

58. What is the purpose of the "transient" keyword in Java?

The "transient" keyword in Java is used to indicate that a variable should not be
serialized during object serialization. When an object is deserialized, transient variables
are set to their default values.

59. What is the purpose of the "static" block in Java?

The "static" block in Java is used to initialize static variables or perform one-time
initialization tasks for a class. It is executed when the class is loaded into memory,
before any objects of that class are created.
60. What is the purpose of the "strictfp" keyword in Java?

The "strictfp" keyword in Java is used to ensure strict adherence to the IEEE 754
standard for floating-point calculations. It ensures consistent results across different
platforms by disabling some optimizations that can affect precision.

61. What is the difference between a public class and a default (package-private)
class?

A public class in Java can be accessed from any other class, regardless of the package
they belong to. A default class, also known as a package-private class, is only
accessible within the same package and cannot be accessed from outside the
package.

62. What is the purpose of the "enum" keyword in Java?

The "enum" keyword in Java is used to define an enumeration, which is a special type
that represents a fixed set of constants. It allows for more structured and type-safe
representation of predefined values.

63. What is the purpose of the "break" and "continue" statements in Java?

The "break" statement in Java is used to terminate the execution of a loop or switch
statement and resume execution after the loop or switch block. The "continue"
statement is used to skip the current iteration of a loop and move to the next iteration.

64. What is the purpose of the "try-with-resources" statement in Java?

The "try-with-resources" statement in Java is used to automatically close resources

that implement the "AutoCloseable" interface. It ensures that resources, such as file
streams or database connections, are properly closed, even if an exception occurs.

65. What is the purpose of the "instanceof" operator in Java?

The "instanceof" operator in Java is used to check whether an object is an instance of a

specific class or implements a specific interface. It returns a boolean value indicating
the result of the check.

66. What is the difference between the pre-increment and post-increment operators?

The pre-increment operator (++i) in Java increments the value of a variable and returns
the incremented value, while the post-increment operator (i++) increments the value
of a variable but returns the original value before the increment.

67. What is the difference between the pre-decrement and post-decrement

operators?

The pre-decrement operator (--i) in Java decrements the value of a variable and returns
the decremented value, while the post-decrement operator (i--) decrements the

value of a variable but returns the original value before the decrement.
68. What is the purpose of the "Math" class in Java?

The "Math" class in Java provides various methods for performing common
mathematical operations, such as square roots, trigonometric functions, exponential
calculations, rounding, and more.

69. What is the purpose of the "StringBuffer" class in Java?

The "StringBuffer" class in Java is used to create and manipulate mutable sequences of
characters, similar to the "StringBuilder" class. However, "StringBuffer" is synchronized
and thread-safe, making it suitable for multi-threaded environments.

70. What is the purpose of the "Math.random()" method in Java?

The "Math.random()" method in Java returns a random double value between 0.0
(inclusive) and 1.0 (exclusive). It is often used to generate random numbers or simulate
random behavior.

71. What is the purpose of the "Character" class in Java?

The "Character" class in Java provides methods for working with individual characters,
such as checking for character types (letters, digits, whitespace), converting case, and
performing character-based operations.

72. What is the purpose of the "Integer" class in Java?

The "Integer" class in Java is a wrapper class that provides methods for working with
integer values, such as converting strings to integers, performing arithmetic
operations, and converting integers to different representations (binary, hexadecimal).

73. What is the purpose of the "Double" class in Java?

The "Double" class in Java is a wrapper class that provides methods for working with
double-precision floating-point values. It offers functionality for parsing strings,
performing arithmetic operations, and converting doubles to different representations
(binary, hexadecimal).

74. What is the purpose of the "System" class in Java?

The "System" class in Java provides access to system resources and allows interaction
with the system environment. It contains methods for standard input/output, error
output, current time, copying arrays, and more.

75. What is the purpose of the "File" class in Java?

The "File" class in Java is used to represent and manipulate file and directory paths. It
provides methods for creating, deleting, renaming, and querying file properties such
as size, last modified date, and permissions.

76. What is the purpose of the "FileNotFoundException" in Java?

The "FileNotFoundException" in Java is an exception that is thrown when an attempt
to access a file that does not exist or cannot be found is made. It is typically caught
and handled to handle file-related errors.

77. What is the purpose of the "NullPointerException" in Java?

The "NullPointerException" in Java is an exception that is thrown when a null reference

is accessed and used where an object reference is expected. It indicates a
programming error and should be handled or prevented to avoid unexpected crashes.

78. What is the purpose of the "ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException" in Java?

The "ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException" in Java is an exception that is thrown when an

invalid index is used to access an array. It indicates that the index is either negative or
exceeds the array's bounds.

79. What is the purpose of the "ArithmeticException" in Java?

The "ArithmeticException" in Java is an exception that is thrown when an arithmetic

operation produces an illegal or undefined result. It typically occurs when dividing by
zero or performing unsupported mathematical operations.

80. What is the purpose of the "NumberFormatException" in Java?

The "NumberFormatException" in Java is an exception that is thrown when a string

cannot be parsed into a numeric value of the expected format. It occurs when
attempting to convert a string to an integer, float, or double, but the string does not
represent a valid number.

81. What is the purpose of the "StringBuilder" class in Java?

The "StringBuilder" class in Java is used to create and manipulate mutable sequences
of characters. It provides methods for appending, inserting, deleting, and modifying
character sequences efficiently.

82. What is the purpose of the "HashSet" class in Java?

The "HashSet" class in Java is an implementation of the Set interface that stores
unique elements in no particular order. It provides constant-time performance for
basic operations like adding, removing, and checking for the presence of elements.

83. What is the purpose of the "HashMap" class in Java?

The "HashMap" class in Java is an implementation of the Map interface that stores
keyvalue pairs. It provides fast retrieval and insertion of elements based on their keys
and allows for efficient mapping and lookup operations.

84. What is the purpose of the "LinkedList" class in Java?

The "LinkedList" class in Java is an implementation of the List interface that uses a
doubly-linked list to store elements. It provides efficient insertion and removal of
elements at both ends of the list but slower random access.
85. What is the purpose of the "Comparator" interface in Java?

The "Comparator" interface in Java is used to define custom ordering of objects. It

provides a way to compare objects based on specific criteria other than their natural
ordering defined by the "Comparable" interface.

86. What is the purpose of the "Comparable" interface in Java?

The "Comparable" interface in Java is used to define the natural ordering of objects of
a class. It provides a method, "compareTo()", that allows objects to be compared and
sorted based on their natural order.

87. What is the purpose of the "super" keyword in Java?

The "super" keyword in Java is used to refer to the superclass of a class or to call the
superclass's constructor, methods, or variables. It is primarily used to differentiate
between superclass and subclass members with the same name.

88. What is the purpose of the "this" keyword in Java?

The "this" keyword in Java is used to refer to the current instance of a class. It is
primarily used to differentiate between instance variables and parameters or to invoke
other constructors within a class.

89. What is the purpose of the "final" keyword in Java?

The "final" keyword in Java is used to define constants, make variables unchangeable,
or prevent method overriding or class inheritance. It ensures that the value of a
variable or the implementation of a method or class cannot be modified.

90. What is the purpose of the "static" keyword in Java?

The "static" keyword in Java is used to define class-level variables and methods that
are shared among all instances of a class. It allows accessing variables or methods
without creating an instance of the class.

91. What is the purpose of the "abstract" keyword in Java?

The "abstract" keyword in Java is used to define abstract classes or methods. An

abstract class cannot be instantiated and serves as a base class for subclasses. An
abstract method does not have an implementation and must be overridden in a
subclass.

92. What is the purpose of the "interface" keyword in Java?

The "interface" keyword in Java is used to define interfaces, which declare methods
that implementing classes must provide. It allows for multiple inheritance by
implementing multiple interfaces and enables the concept of polymorphism.

93. What is the purpose of the "package" keyword in Java?

The "package" keyword in Java is used to define a package, which is a way to organize
related classes and interfaces. It provides a hierarchical structure and helps prevent
naming conflicts between classes.

94. What is the purpose of the "import" keyword in Java?

The "import" keyword in Java is used to import classes, interfaces, or packages into a
source file. It allows using classes from other packages without specifying their fully
qualified names.

95. What is the purpose of the "throw" keyword in Java?

The "throw" keyword in Java is used to manually throw an exception. It is typically used
when a program encounters an error or exceptional situation that cannot be handled,
and the control should be transferred to an exception handler.

96. What is the purpose of the "throws" keyword in Java?

The "throws" keyword in Java is used in method declarations to specify that a method
may throw certain types of exceptions. It allows the caller of the method to handle the
exception or propagate it further.

97. What is the purpose of the "try-catch-finally" block in Java?

The "try-catch-finally" block in Java is used to handle exceptions. The "try" block
contains the code that may throw an exception, the "catch" block catches and handles
the exception, and the "finally" block contains cleanup code that is executed
regardless of whether an exception occurs or not.

98. What is the purpose of the "instanceof" operator in Java?

The "instanceof" operator in Java is used to check the type of an object at runtime. It
returns a boolean value indicating whether an object is an instance of a particular class
or implements a specific interface.

99. What is the purpose of the "break" statement in Java?

The "break" statement in Java is used to terminate the execution of a loop or switch
statement. It allows exiting a loop prematurely or skipping the remaining cases in a
switch statement.

100. What is the purpose of the "continue" statement in Java?

The "continue" statement in Java is used to skip the current iteration of a loop and
continue with the next iteration. It allows skipping certain iterations based on specific
conditions without exiting the loop entirely