Java Methods Cheat Sheet for DSA

Problems
String Methods
Basic Operations

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●​ length() - Returns the length of the string
●​ charAt(int index) - Returns the character at the specified index

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●​ substring(int beginIndex) - Returns substring from beginIndex to end
●​ substring(int beginIndex, int endIndex) - Returns substring from

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beginIndex to endIndex-1
●​ isEmpty() - Checks if string length is 0

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●​ toCharArray() - Converts string to character array

String Comparison
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●​ equals(Object obj) - Case-sensitive comparison with another string
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●​ equalsIgnoreCase(String str) - Case-insensitive comparison

●​ compareTo(String str) - Lexicographical comparison (returns int)
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●​ startsWith(String prefix) - Checks if string starts with prefix

●​ endsWith(String suffix) - Checks if string ends with suffix
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●​ contains(CharSequence seq) - Checks if string contains sequence

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String Modification

●​ toLowerCase() - Converts to lowercase

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●​ toUpperCase() - Converts to uppercase

●​ trim() - Removes whitespace from both ends
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●​ replace(char oldChar, char newChar) - Replaces all occurrences of a

character
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●​ replace(CharSequence target, CharSequence replacement) - Replaces

sequence
●​ replaceAll(String regex, String replacement) - Replaces by regex
pattern

Searching

●​ indexOf(String str) - First occurrence of specified string

●​ indexOf(String str, int fromIndex) - First occurrence from index
 ●​ lastIndexOf(String str) - Last occurrence of specified string
●​ lastIndexOf(String str, int fromIndex) - Last occurrence before index
●​ matches(String regex) - Tells if string matches regex pattern

Splitting and Joining

●​ split(String regex) - Splits string based on regex, returns array

●​ split(String regex, int limit) - Splits with limit on array size
●​ join(CharSequence delimiter, CharSequence... elements) - Joins
elements with delimiter (static method)

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●​ concat(String str) - Concatenates another string

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StringBuilder Methods

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Basic Operations

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●​ StringBuilder() - Constructor creates empty builder with capacity 16
●​ StringBuilder(String str) - Constructor with initial string
●​ length() - Returns length (character count)
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●​ capacity() - Returns current capacity
●​ charAt(int index) - Returns char at specified index
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●​ substring(int start) - Returns substring from start to end

●​ substring(int start, int end) - Returns substring from start to end-1
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Modification
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●​ append(X x) - Appends string representation of X (many overloads)

●​ insert(int offset, X x) - Inserts string representation of X at position
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●​ delete(int start, int end) - Removes chars from start to end-1

●​ deleteCharAt(int index) - Removes char at specified position
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●​ replace(int start, int end, String str) - Replaces substring

●​ setCharAt(int index, char ch) - Sets char at specified position
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●​ reverse() - Reverses the sequence

●​ setLength(int newLength) - Sets the length (truncates or adds null chars)
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●​ toString() - Converts to String

Arrays Methods (java.util.Arrays)

Basic Operations

●​ Arrays.toString(array) - Returns string representation of array

●​ Arrays.deepToString(Object[][] array) - For multi-dimensional arrays
 ●​ Arrays.equals(array1, array2) - Compares arrays for equality
●​ Arrays.deepEquals(Object[][] a1, Object[][] a2) - For
multi-dimensional arrays
●​ Arrays.hashCode(array) - Returns hash code based on contents
●​ Arrays.deepHashCode(Object[][] array) - For multi-dimensional arrays

Searching and Sorting

●​ Arrays.sort(array) - Sorts array in ascending order

●​ Arrays.sort(array, int fromIndex, int toIndex) - Sorts specified

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range
●​ Arrays.sort(array, Comparator<? super T> c) - Sorts with custom

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comparator
●​ Arrays.binarySearch(array, key) - Binary search on sorted array
●​ Arrays.binarySearch(array, fromIndex, toIndex, key) - In specific

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range
●​ Arrays.fill(array, val) - Fills entire array with specified value

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●​ Arrays.fill(array, fromIndex, toIndex, val) - Fills range with value

Array Conversion
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●​ Arrays.asList(T... a) - Converts array to fixed-size List
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●​ Arrays.copyOf(original, newLength) - Copies and possibly resizes

●​ Arrays.copyOfRange(original, from, to) - Copies specified range
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Java 8+ Enhancements
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●​ Arrays.stream(array) - Returns a sequential stream

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●​ Arrays.parallelSort(array) - Sorts using multiple threads

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ArrayList (and List) Methods

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Basic Operations

●​ ArrayList<E>() - Constructor creates empty list

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●​ ArrayList<E>(Collection<? extends E> c) - Constructor with collection

●​ size() - Returns number of elements
●​ isEmpty() - Checks if list contains no elements
●​ get(int index) - Returns element at position
●​ set(int index, E element) - Replaces element at position
●​ add(E e) - Appends element to end
●​ add(int index, E element) - Inserts element at position
●​ remove(int index) - Removes element at position
 ●​ remove(Object o) - Removes first occurrence of element
●​ clear() - Removes all elements

Searching

●​ contains(Object o) - Returns true if list contains element

●​ indexOf(Object o) - Index of first occurrence or -1
●​ lastIndexOf(Object o) - Index of last occurrence or -1

Bulk Operations

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●​ addAll(Collection<? extends E> c) - Appends all elements
●​ addAll(int index, Collection<? extends E> c) - Inserts all at index

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●​ removeAll(Collection<?> c) - Removes all elements in c
●​ retainAll(Collection<?> c) - Retains only elements in c

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●​ containsAll(Collection<?> c) - True if contains all elements

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List Views

●​ subList(int fromIndex, int toIndex) - Returns view of portion

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Java 8+ Enhancements
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●​ stream() - Returns a sequential Stream

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●​ forEach(Consumer<? super E> action) - Performs action for each element

●​ removeIf(Predicate<? super E> filter) - Removes all elements matching
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predicate
●​ sort(Comparator<? super E> c) - Sorts list with provided comparator
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HashSet (and Set) Methods

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Basic Operations
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●​ HashSet<E>() - Constructor creates empty set

●​ HashSet<E>(Collection<? extends E> c) - Constructor with collection
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●​ size() - Returns number of elements

●​ isEmpty() - Checks if set contains no elements
●​ add(E e) - Adds element if not present (returns boolean)
●​ remove(Object o) - Removes element if present
●​ clear() - Removes all elements
●​ contains(Object o) - Returns true if set contains element

Bulk Operations
 ●​ addAll(Collection<? extends E> c) - Adds all elements
●​ removeAll(Collection<?> c) - Removes all elements in c
●​ retainAll(Collection<?> c) - Retains only elements in c
●​ containsAll(Collection<?> c) - True if contains all elements

Iteration

●​ iterator() - Returns iterator over elements

Java 8+ Enhancements

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●​ stream() - Returns a sequential Stream
●​ forEach(Consumer<? super E> action) - Performs action for each element

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●​ removeIf(Predicate<? super E> filter) - Removes all elements matching
predicate

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HashMap (and Map) Methods
Basic Operations Sa
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●​ HashMap<K, V>() - Constructor creates empty map
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●​ HashMap<K, V>(Map<? extends K, ? extends V> m) - Constructor with

map
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●​ size() - Returns number of key-value mappings

●​ isEmpty() - Checks if map contains no mappings
●​ put(K key, V value) - Associates key with value
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●​ get(Object key) - Returns value for key or null

●​ getOrDefault(Object key, V defaultValue) - Returns value or default
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●​ remove(Object key) - Removes mapping for key

●​ clear() - Removes all mappings
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Checking Map Contents

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●​ containsKey(Object key) - True if map contains key

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●​ containsValue(Object value) - True if map maps to value

Bulk Operations

●​ putAll(Map<? extends K, ? extends V> m) - Copies all mappings

●​ putIfAbsent(K key, V value) - Adds mapping if key not present

Map Views

●​ keySet() - Returns Set view of keys

 ●​ values() - Returns Collection view of values
●​ entrySet() - Returns Set view of mappings

Java 8+ Enhancements

●​ forEach(BiConsumer<? super K, ? super V> action) - Performs action

for each entry
●​ replaceAll(BiFunction<? super K, ? super V, ? extends V>
function) - Replaces all values
●​ compute(K key, BiFunction<? super K, ? super V, ? extends V>

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remappingFunction) - Computes value
●​ computeIfAbsent(K key, Function<? super K, ? extends V>

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mappingFunction) - If key absent
●​ computeIfPresent(K key, BiFunction<? super K, ? super V, ?

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extends V> remappingFunction) - If key present
●​ merge(K key, V value, BiFunction<? super V, ? super V, ?

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extends V> remappingFunction) - Merges values

Queue and PriorityQueue Methods

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Basic Operations
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●​ add(E e) / offer(E e) - Adds element to queue (returns boolean)

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●​ remove() / poll() - Removes and returns head (poll returns null if empty)
●​ element() / peek() - Retrieves head without removing (peek returns null if empty)
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●​ size() - Returns number of elements

●​ isEmpty() - Checks if queue is empty
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PriorityQueue Specific
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●​ PriorityQueue<E>() - Default min heap

●​ PriorityQueue<E>(Comparator<? super E> comparator) - Custom
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ordering
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Stack Methods
Basic Operations

●​ push(E item) - Pushes item onto top of stack

●​ pop() - Removes and returns top item
●​ peek() - Returns top item without removing
●​ empty() - Tests if stack is empty
●​ search(Object o) - Returns position of object (1-based)
Deque Methods (LinkedList, ArrayDeque)
Basic Operations

●​ addFirst(E e) / offerFirst(E e) - Inserts at front

●​ addLast(E e) / offerLast(E e) - Inserts at end
●​ removeFirst() / pollFirst() - Removes first element
●​ removeLast() / pollLast() - Removes last element
●​ getFirst() / peekFirst() - Retrieves first element
●​ getLast() / peekLast() - Retrieves last element

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