Advances Java Interview Questions

1. What is the difference between HashMap and Hashtable in

Java?
Answer: HashMap is not synchronized and not thread-safe, while
Hashtable is synchronized and thread-safe.
2. Explain the concept of Java Generics?
Answer: Generics allow you to create classes, interfaces, and
methods that operate with types as parameters, providing type
safety and reusability.
3. What is the Java Memory Model (JMM), and why is it
important?
Answer: JMM defines how threads in Java interact with memory,
ensuring proper visibility of shared data and preventing data races.
4. What is the purpose of the volatile keyword in Java?
Answer: volatile is used to indicate that a variable's value may be
changed by multiple threads simultaneously and ensures visibility of
changes.
5. What are lambda expressions in Java, and how are they used?
Answer: Lambda expressions provide a concise way to define
anonymous functions and are used mainly for functional
programming and the Stream API.
6. What is the difference between composition and inheritance
in Java?
Answer: Composition is a design principle where one class contains
an instance of another class, while inheritance is an "is-a"
relationship between classes.
7. What is the Java Collections Framework, and why is it
important?
Answer: The Collections Framework provides classes and interfaces
for working with collections of objects, offering reusable data
structures and algorithms.
8. What is the purpose of the transient keyword in Java?
Answer: transient is used to mark a field as non-serializable,
preventing it from being included in the object's serialized form.
9. What is the difference between wait() and sleep() methods in
Java?
Answer: wait() is a method for threads to wait for a condition to be
met and releases the monitor, while sleep() simply pauses a thread
for a specified time.
10. Explain the concept of garbage collection in Java?
Answer: Garbage collection is the process of automatically
reclaiming memory occupied by objects no longer in use, helping
manage memory efficiently.
11. What is a Java annotation, and how are they used?
Answer: Annotations provide metadata about code elements and
are used for various purposes like code documentation and runtime
processing.
12. What is the try-with-resources statement in Java, and how
does it work?
Answer: try-with-resources is used for automatic resource
management, ensuring that resources like files or sockets are
properly closed after use.
13. What is the Java Native Interface (JNI), and when is it used?
Answer: JNI allows Java code to interact with native libraries and is
used when you need to access platform-specific or low-level
features.
14. Explain the concept of multithreading in Java?
Answer: Multithreading allows concurrent execution of multiple
threads, enabling efficient utilization of CPU resources and
responsiveness in applications.
15. What is the purpose of the assert statement in Java?
Answer: assert is used for debugging purposes to check certain
conditions during development and can be enabled or disabled at
runtime.
16. How does the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) handle method
overloading & overriding?
Answer: Method overloading is resolved at compile-time based on
the method signature, while method overriding is resolved at
runtime using dynamic dispatch.
17. What is the difference
between StringBuilder and StringBuffer?
Answer: Both classes provide mutable strings, but StringBuffer is
thread-safe, while StringBuilder is not.
18. Explain the concept of design patterns in Java?
Answer: Design patterns are recurring solutions to common design
problems, promoting code reusability, maintainability, and
scalability.
19. What is reflection in Java, and how is it used?
Answer: Reflection allows Java code to inspect and manipulate class
objects, fields, methods, and constructors at runtime.
20. Describe the principles of object-oriented programming
(OOP) and their application in Java.
Answer: OOP principles include encapsulation, inheritance,
polymorphism, and abstraction, which are fundamental concepts in
Java for building modular and extensible code.
21. What is the purpose of the finalize() method in Java, and
when is it called?
Answer: The finalize() method is used for cleanup operations on an
object before it's garbage collected. It's called by the garbage
collector before reclaiming the memory.
22. Explain the concept of checked and unchecked exceptions
in Java?
Answer: Checked exceptions are those that must be either caught
using try-catch or declared using throws in a method's signature.
Unchecked exceptions are subclasses of RuntimeException and
don't require explicit handling.
23. What is the difference between deep copy and shallow copy
of objects in Java?
Answer: A deep copy creates a new object and recursively copies all
objects referenced by the original object, while a shallow copy
creates a new object and copies references to the objects
referenced by the original.
24. How does Java support multiple inheritance through
interfaces?
Answer: Java supports multiple inheritance of types (interfaces) but
not implementation. A class can implement multiple interfaces to
inherit their abstract methods.
25. What is the purpose of the ClassLoader in Java, and how
does it work?
Answer: The ClassLoader is responsible for loading classes into
memory at runtime. It follows a hierarchical structure and can load
classes from various sources like the file system or network.
26. What are inner classes in Java, and why are they used?
Answer: Inner classes are classes defined within another class. They
are used for encapsulation, organization, and accessing outer class
members, often in a more readable and concise way.
27. Explain the super keyword in Java and its use in constructor
chaining?
Answer: super is used to call a superclass's constructor or access
superclass members. It's commonly used in constructor chaining to
call the superclass constructor from a subclass constructor.
28. What is method overloading, and how is it different from
method overriding in Java?
Answer: Method overloading is the process of defining multiple
methods with the same name in a class, differing by the number or
type of parameters. It's resolved at compile-time. Method
overriding is the process of providing a specific implementation of a
superclass's method in a subclass, resolved at runtime.
29. What is a Java Servlet, and how does it differ from a JSP
(JavaServer Pages)?
Answer: A Java Servlet is a Java class used to handle HTTP requests
and generate dynamic web content. JSP is a technology used for
creating web pages with embedded Java code. Servlets are more
suited for handling logic, while JSP is used for rendering HTML.
30. What is the purpose of the Enum type in Java, and how is it
different from regular classes?
Answer: Enum types are used to define a fixed set of constants.
They are implicitly final, cannot be extended, and are often used for
representing things like days of the week or status codes.
31. How does Java handle exceptions in a multi-threaded
environment?
Answer: Each thread has its own call stack and exception handlers.
If an exception is not caught within a thread, it propagates up the
call stack of that thread only.
32. Explain the concept of the "diamond problem" in the
context of multiple inheritance in Java?
Answer: The diamond problem occurs when a class inherits from
two classes that have a common ancestor. It can lead to ambiguity
in method calls, and Java solves this by requiring explicit method
override or the use of default methods in interfaces.
33. What is the purpose of the synchronized keyword in Java,
and how does it work?
Answer: synchronized is used to create synchronized blocks or
methods to provide thread-safety by allowing only one thread to
access a synchronized block at a time.
34. What is the difference
between ClassLoader.loadClass() and Class.forName() methods in
Java for loading classes?
Answer: ClassLoader.loadClass() loads a class but doesn't initialize
it, while Class.forName() loads and initializes a class. Class.forName()
is also used for dynamically loading classes based on a string name.
35. Explain the concept of object serialization in Java?
Answer: Object serialization is the process of converting an object's
state into a byte stream for storage or transmission. It allows objects
to be saved to files or sent over the network.
36. What is the purpose of the this keyword in Java, and how is
it used?
Answer: The this keyword refers to the current instance of a class
and is often used to distinguish between instance variables and
method parameters with the same name.
37. Explain the principles of immutability and how they relate
to Java's final keyword?
Answer: Immutability refers to the inability of an object to change
its state after creation. The final keyword can be applied to classes,
methods, or fields to indicate that they cannot be modified.
38. What is the Comparator interface in Java, and how is it used
for custom sorting of objects?
Answer: Comparator is used for custom sorting of objects. It
defines methods to compare objects based on specific criteria,
allowing you to sort objects in a way that's different from their
natural ordering.
39. Explain the difference between the equals() method and
the == operator in Java for comparing objects?
Answer: The equals() method is used to compare the content or
values of objects, while == compares object references, checking if
they refer to the same memory location.
40. What is the purpose of the @Override annotation in Java,
and when should it be used?
Answer: @Override is used to indicate that a method in a subclass
is intended to override a method in the superclass. It helps catch
errors at compile-time if there's a mismatch in method signatures.
41. Explain the concept of inner and anonymous classes in Java?
Answer: Inner classes are classes defined within other classes, while
anonymous classes are inner classes without a specified name.
Anonymous classes are often used for one-time usage.
42. What is the Java Module System introduced in Java 9, and
how does it help with modularity?
Answer: The Java Module System allows you to create modular
applications by encapsulating code into distinct modules, improving
code organization and reducing dependencies.
43. How does Java support primitive data types and their
corresponding wrapper classes?
Answer: Java provides wrapper classes (e.g., Integer, Double) for
primitive data types (e.g., int, double) to allow them to be used as
objects and provide additional methods and functionality.
44. What is the purpose of the Class class in Java, and how can
it be used to inspect class metadata at runtime?
Answer: The Class class represents class metadata at runtime and
can be used to inspect class information, such as methods, fields,
and annotations.
45. Explain the concept of dynamic method dispatch and its
role in method overriding in Java?
Answer: Dynamic method dispatch allows the JVM to determine the
appropriate method to call at runtime when a method is overridden
in a subclass. It enables polymorphic behavior.
46. What is the purpose of the ThreadLocal class in Java, and
how is it used for managing thread-local variables?
Answer: ThreadLocal allows you to create variables that are local to
each thread, ensuring thread safety without synchronization. Each
thread accesses its own copy of the variable.
47. Describe the Java 8 features related to functional
programming, including lambdas and the Stream API?
Answer: Java 8 introduced lambdas for defining functions, and the
Stream API for working with collections in a functional style,
enabling concise and expressive code.
48. What is a Java annotation processor, and how can it be used
for code generation or validation?
Answer: An annotation processor processes annotations at
compile-time, allowing you to generate code, perform validations,
or automate tasks based on annotations in your code.
49. Explain the principles of method chaining and builder
design pattern in Java, and their benefits?
Answer: Method chaining allows multiple method calls on an object
in a single line, enhancing readability. The builder design pattern
simplifies object creation by chaining builder methods.
50. How does Java handle memory management and garbage
collection for objects with circular references?
Answer: Java's garbage collector can handle circular references by
using techniques like reference counting or reachability analysis to
identify and reclaim unreferenced objects.
51. What is the purpose of the volatile keyword in Java, and
how does it ensure visibility and ordering of variables among
threads?
Answer: volatile ensures that the value of a variable is always read
from and written to main memory, preventing thread-local caching
and ensuring visibility and ordering of reads and writes among
threads.
52. Explain the concept of the "fork-join" framework in Java
and its use in parallel programming?
Answer: The fork-join framework is used for parallelism in Java to
divide a task into smaller subtasks that can be executed
concurrently. It's particularly useful for CPU-bound tasks.
53. What are the differences between
the throw and throws keywords in Java, and when are they
used?
Answer: throw is used to manually throw an exception, while
throws is used in a method signature to indicate that the method
can throw checked exceptions that need to be handled by the caller
or propagated.
54. Explain the concept of JavaBeans and the conventions
associated with them?
Answer: JavaBeans are reusable software components in Java. They
follow conventions like having a public no-argument constructor,
providing getter and setter methods, and being serializable.
55. What is the purpose of the System class in Java, and how is
it used for input/output operations and system properties?
Answer: The System class provides access to the system's standard
input, output, and error streams, as well as system properties and
environment variables.
56. Describe the concept of "checked exceptions" and
"unchecked exceptions" in Java and provide examples of each?
Answer: Checked exceptions are exceptions that must be caught or
declared, such as IOException. Unchecked exceptions are subclasses
of RuntimeException, such as NullPointerException, and don't
require explicit handling.
57. What is the purpose of the java.util.concurrent package in
Java, and how does it facilitate concurrent programming?
Answer: The java.util.concurrent package provides classes and
utilities for concurrent programming, including thread pools, locks,
and concurrent data structures.
58. Explain the concept of method references in Java, and how
are they used as a shorthand for lambda expressions?
Answer: Method references provide a concise way to refer to
methods or constructors using their names. They can be used as a
shorthand for lambda expressions when the lambda's body simply
calls a method.
59. What is the purpose of the AutoCloseable interface in Java,
and how is it used for resource management with the try-with-
resources statement?
Answer: The AutoCloseable interface is used for classes that
manage resources that need to be closed after use. It enables
automatic resource management when used with the try-with-
resources statement.
60. Explain the role of the java.lang.ClassLoader class in dynamic
class loading and runtime class generation in Java?
Answer: The ClassLoader class loads classes into memory at
runtime and can be used for dynamic class loading, which is useful
for plugins and runtime class generation.
61. What are annotations, and how can custom annotations be
defined and used in Java?
Answer: Annotations are metadata that can be added to code
elements like classes, methods, or fields. Custom annotations can be
defined using the @interface keyword and used to provide
additional information or behavior.
62. Describe the purpose of the java.nio package and its role in
high-performance I/O operations in Java?
Answer: The java.nio package provides non-blocking I/O operations
and memory-mapped file capabilities, enabling high-performance
I/O operations in Java.
63. What are the principles of the SOLID design principles in
object-oriented programming, and how do they apply to Java
development?
Answer: SOLID stands for Single Responsibility Principle,
Open/Closed Principle, Liskov Substitution Principle, Interface
Segregation Principle, and Dependency Inversion Principle. These
principles guide software design and promote maintainable and
extensible code in Java.
64. Explain the concept of reflection in Java, and provide
examples of how it can be used to inspect or manipulate class
metadata at runtime?
Answer: Reflection allows you to inspect and manipulate class
metadata, such as fields, methods, and constructors, at runtime. It's
often used in frameworks and tools for dynamic behavior.
65. What is a Java agent, and how can it be used for
instrumenting bytecode or enhancing the behavior of Java
applications at runtime?
Answer: A Java agent is a program that can be attached to a Java
application at runtime to monitor, instrument, or enhance its
behavior. It's commonly used for profiling and debugging.
66. What is the purpose of the java.util.stream package in Java,
and how does it support functional-style operations on
collections?
Answer: The java.util.stream package provides a powerful API for
functional-style operations on collections, including filtering,
mapping, and reducing, making it easier to work with data in a
declarative manner.
67. Explain the concept of serialization and deserialization in
Java, and discuss the role of the Serializable interface?
Answer: Serialization is the process of converting an object into a
byte stream for storage or transmission, while deserialization is the
reverse process. The Serializable interface is used to mark classes as
serializable, allowing their objects to be serialized.
68. What is the java.util.function package in Java, and how does
it provide functional interfaces for use with lambda expressions
and method references?
Answer: The java.util.function package defines functional interfaces
like Consumer, Function, and Predicate, which can be used as
argument types for lambda expressions and method references,
promoting functional programming in Java.
69. Explain the concept of classpath and class loading in Java,
and how class loading is performed at runtime?
Answer: The classpath is a list of directories and JAR files where the
JVM looks for class files. Class loading is the process of loading
classes into memory when they are first referenced, following a
hierarchical class loading mechanism.
70. What is the java.util.concurrent.atomic package, and how
does it provide atomic operations for variables in a
multithreaded environment?
Answer: The java.util.concurrent.atomic package provides classes
like AtomicInteger and AtomicReference that offer atomic
operations, ensuring thread safety without the need for explicit
synchronization.
71. Explain the purpose of the java.util.concurrent.locks package
in Java and the differences
between ReentrantLock and synchronized blocks/methods?
Answer: The java.util.concurrent.locks package provides advanced
locking mechanisms for managing concurrency. ReentrantLock
offers more control than synchronized blocks/methods and
supports features like fairness.
72. What is the purpose of the Java Authentication and
Authorization Service (JAAS), and how is it used for user
authentication and access control?
Answer: JAAS is a Java framework for user authentication and
authorization. It provides a way to secure Java applications by
defining and enforcing security policies.
73. Explain the concept of Java RMI (Remote Method
Invocation) and how it enables distributed computing and
remote object communication?
Answer: Java RMI allows objects to invoke methods on remote
objects in a distributed system. It enables communication between
Java objects running on different JVMs, making distributed
computing possible.
74. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using immutable
objects in Java, and how can they improve code quality and
thread safety?
Answer: Immutable objects provide thread safety and are inherently
thread-safe. They also simplify code by eliminating mutable state.
However, they can be less efficient if frequent modifications are
required.
75. Explain the concept of method handle in Java and how it
differs from traditional method invocations using reflection or
lambda expressions?
Answer: Method handles provide a way to refer to methods and
perform method invocations in a more efficient and flexible manner
than traditional reflection or lambda expressions.
76. What is the Java Security Manager, and how does it control
the execution of untrusted code in Java applications?
Answer: The Java Security Manager is a component that controls
the execution of untrusted code by specifying security policies and
granting or denying permissions to Java code.
77. Describe the principles of code design for testability in Java
and how they promote the development of testable and
maintainable code?
Answer: Principles like Dependency Injection, Separation of
Concerns, and Single Responsibility Principle promote code design
that is easy to test and maintain in Java.
78. Explain the concept of Java Flight Recorder (JFR) and how it
can be used for profiling and monitoring Java applications in
real-time?
Answer: JFR is a built-in profiling and monitoring tool in Java that
collects detailed runtime information about an application's
performance, helping developers identify bottlenecks and issues.
79. What is the Java Memory Model (JMM), and how does it
ensure memory consistency and visibility in multi-threaded
programs?
Answer: The JMM defines rules for how threads interact with
memory, ensuring memory consistency and visibility in multi-
threaded programs by defining happens-before relationships.
80. Explain the role of the java.nio.channels package in Java for
non-blocking I/O operations and asynchronous
communication?
Answer: The java.nio.channels package provides support for non-
blocking I/O operations and asynchronous communication, allowing
Java applications to handle I/O efficiently without blocking threads.
81. What is the purpose of the java.util.concurrent package in
Java, and how does it provide high-level concurrency
abstractions and utilities for multi-threading?
Answer: The java.util.concurrent package provides high-level
concurrency abstractions and utilities, including thread pools,
concurrent data structures, and synchronization mechanisms, to
simplify multi-threaded programming.
82. Explain the concept of the Java Native Interface (JNI) and
its use for integrating Java code with native code written in
languages like C or C++?
Answer: JNI allows Java code to call native code and vice versa. It
enables the integration of Java applications with native libraries for
tasks that require platform-specific functionality.
83. What is the purpose of the java.util.function package in Java,
and how does it facilitate functional programming constructs
like predicates, consumers, and functions?
Answer: The java.util.function package provides functional
interfaces like Predicate, Consumer, and Function to work with
functional programming constructs, enabling concise and
expressive code.
84. Explain the concept of Java records introduced in Java 16,
and how they simplify the creation of data classes?
Answer: Java records are a new language feature that simplifies the
creation of data classes by automatically generating constructors,
accessors, equals(), hashCode(), and toString() methods based on
the class's components.
85. What is the Java Content Repository (JCR) specification, and
how is it used for managing content in Java-based applications?
Answer: The JCR specification defines a standard API for content
management in Java applications, allowing developers to work with
structured content like documents, images, and metadata.
86. Explain the concept of method references in Java and
provide examples of how they can be used to simplify code
when passing methods as arguments or using lambda
expressions?
Answer: Method references provide a shorthand notation to refer
to methods as arguments to functions. They simplify code when
working with functional interfaces and lambda expressions.
87. Describe the principles of the "Single Responsibility
Principle" (SRP) and how it applies to class design in Java,
promoting cohesion and maintainability?
Answer: SRP suggests that a class should have only one reason to
change, meaning it should have a single responsibility. It promotes
cohesion by keeping related functionality together and enhances
maintainability.
88. What is the java.lang.instrument package in Java, and how is
it used for bytecode manipulation and dynamic code
modification at runtime?
Answer: The java.lang.instrument package provides a way to modify
Java bytecode at runtime, enabling dynamic code modification,
profiling, and instrumentation.
89. Explain the role of the java.util.ServiceLoader class in Java
and how it enables dynamic service discovery and loading in
applications?
Answer: The ServiceLoader class is used for dynamic service
discovery and loading in Java applications. It allows you to discover
and instantiate services from various providers at runtime.
90. What is the purpose of the java.lang.ref package in Java, and
how does it provide different levels of reference types for
managing memory and object lifecycles?
Answer: The java.lang.ref package provides reference types (strong,
soft, weak, and phantom) for managing memory and object
lifecycles. These reference types allow more control over object
garbage collection.
91. Explain the concept of "garbage-first" (G1) garbage
collection in Java and how it differs from other garbage
collection algorithms like the generational collector?
Answer: G1 is a garbage collection algorithm that aims to provide
high throughput and low latency by dividing the heap into regions
and collecting regions with the most garbage. It differs from the
generational collector in its approach to managing the heap.
92. What is the java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture class in
Java, and how is it used for asynchronous and non-blocking
programming, including chaining and combining asynchronous
tasks?
Answer: CompletableFuture is a class in Java that represents a
future result of an asynchronous computation. It allows for chaining
and combining multiple asynchronous tasks and simplifies non-
blocking programming.
93. Explain the concept of the "Open/Closed Principle" (OCP) in
object-oriented design and how it encourages extensibility
while preserving existing code?
Answer: OCP suggests that software entities should be open for
extension but closed for modification. It encourages extensibility
through inheritance, interfaces, and design patterns like the
Strategy pattern.
94. Describe the concept of "checked exceptions" and
"unchecked exceptions" in Java, and provide examples of each
type?
Answer: Checked exceptions are exceptions that must be caught or
declared, such as IOException. Unchecked exceptions are subclasses
of RuntimeException, such as NullPointerException, and don't
require explicit handling.
95. What are "annotations" in Java, and how are they used to
provide metadata and additional information about code
elements?
Answer: Annotations in Java provide metadata and additional
information about code elements such as classes, methods, and
fields. They are used for documentation, code generation, and
runtime processing.
96. Explain the principles of the "Liskov Substitution Principle"
(LSP) in object-oriented design and how it defines the
relationship between a base class and its derived classes?
Answer: LSP suggests that objects of derived classes should be
substitutable for objects of their base classes without affecting
program correctness. It defines the behavioral contract between
base and derived classes.
97. What is the "Default Method" feature introduced in Java 8,
and how does it enable backward compatibility with existing
interfaces when new methods are added?
Answer: Default methods allow interfaces to provide default
implementations for methods, enabling backward compatibility with
existing implementations when new methods are added to
interfaces.
98. Explain the role of the java.util.Formatter class in Java and
how it's used for formatted output, including specifying format
strings and placeholders?
Answer: The Formatter class in Java is used for formatted output,
similar to the printf function in C. It allows you to specify format
strings and placeholders to control the formatting of data.
99. What is the java.nio.file package in Java, and how does it
provide improved file and directory handling compared to the
legacy java.io.File class?
Answer: The java.nio.file package provides an improved and more
flexible API for file and directory handling compared to the older
java.io.File class. It supports advanced features like file attributes
and symbolic links.
100. Describe the principles of the "Dependency Inversion
Principle" (DIP) in object-oriented design and how it promotes
flexibility and decoupling between high-level and low-level
modules?
Answer: DIP suggests that high-level modules should not depend
on low-level modules directly but should depend on abstractions. It
promotes decoupling and flexibility by allowing changes in low-
level modules without affecting high-level modules.