Collection Interfaces
As you saw in Chapter 9, "Interfaces," Java interfaces provide a way to reduce dependencies, or coupling, between classes. When you code to an interface rather than a specific class implementation, you allow for the possibility of multiple classes being available to implement the behavior you need. The collection framework is built on a set of fundamental interfaces. This allows you to choose the proper data structure based on its performance characteristics, without having to worry about the implementation details. The collection framework includes at least one implementation for each of its interfaces, but it also allows you to create your own special purpose collection classes if the need arises.
Note
An interface cannot ...
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