If you're looping through an array, it shouldn't matter - the enhanced for loop uses array accesses anyway.

For example, consider this code:

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    for (String x : args)
    {
        System.out.println(x);
    }
}

When decompiled with javap -c Test we get (for the main method):

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
  Code:
   0:   aload_0
   1:   astore_1
   2:   aload_1
   3:   arraylength
   4:   istore_2
   5:   iconst_0
   6:   istore_3
   7:   iload_3
   8:   iload_2
   9:   if_icmpge   31
   12:  aload_1
   13:  iload_3
   14:  aaload
   15:  astore  4
   17:  getstatic   #2; //Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
   20:  aload   4
   22:  invokevirtual   #3; //Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
   25:  iinc    3, 1
   28:  goto    7
   31:  return

Now change it to use an explicit array access:

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++)
    {
        System.out.println(args[i]);
    }
}

This decompiles to:

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
  Code:
   0:   iconst_0
   1:   istore_1
   2:   iload_1
   3:   aload_0
   4:   arraylength
   5:   if_icmpge   23
   8:   getstatic   #2; //Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
   11:  aload_0
   12:  iload_1
   13:  aaload
   14:  invokevirtual   #3; //Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
   17:  iinc    1, 1
   20:  goto    2
   23:  return

There's a bit more setup code in the enhanced for loop, but they're basically doing the same thing. No iterators are involved. Furthermore, I'd expect them to get JITted to even more similar code.

Suggestion: if you really think it might make a significant difference (which it would only ever do if the body of the loop is absolutely miniscule) then you should benchmark it with your real application. That's the only situation which matters.

Answer from Jon Skeet on Stack Overflow
๐ŸŒ
W3Schools
w3schools.com โ€บ java โ€บ java_arrays_loop.asp
Java Loop Through an Array
Arrays Loop Through an Array Real-Life Examples Multidimensional Arrays Code Challenge ยท Java Methods Java Method Challenge Java Method Parameters
๐ŸŒ
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ java โ€บ iterating-arrays-java
Java - Loop Through an Array - GeeksforGeeks
December 2, 2024 - Example 3: We can also loop through an array using while loop. Although there is not much of a difference in for and while loop in this condition. While loop is considered effective when the increment of the value depends upon some of the condition. ... // Java program to iterate over an array // using while loop import java.io.*; class Main { public static void main(String args[]) { // taking an array int a[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }; int i = 0; // Iterating over an array // using while loop while (i < a.length) { // accessing each element of array System.out.print(a[i] + " "); i++; } } }
๐ŸŒ
Medium
medium.com โ€บ @AlexanderObregon โ€บ java-and-array-iteration-what-beginners-need-to-know-22a44dd32afb
Java and Array Iteration โ€” What Beginners Need to Know
June 17, 2024 - Learn the basics of array iteration in Java, exploring methods including for loops, while loops, for-each loops, and advanced techniques using streams.
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CodingBat
codingbat.com โ€บ doc โ€บ java-array-loops.html
CodingBat Java Arrays and Loops
In contrast, Java Lists can grow and shrink over time -- this is a big feature that Lists have that arrays do not. The length of an array can be accessed as a special ".length" attribute. For example, with the above "values" array, we can access the size of the array as "values.length". It is common to use a 0...length-1 for-loop to iterate over all the elements in array:
๐ŸŒ
Quora
quora.com โ€บ What-is-iteration-What-does-it-mean-to-iterate-through-an-array-in-Java
What is iteration? What does it mean to iterate through an array in Java? - Quora
That said, your question tells ... to me: In its simplest terms, to iterate over something is to access each element of a collection, one by one....
Top answer
1 of 6
69

If you're looping through an array, it shouldn't matter - the enhanced for loop uses array accesses anyway.

For example, consider this code:

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    for (String x : args)
    {
        System.out.println(x);
    }
}

When decompiled with javap -c Test we get (for the main method):

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
  Code:
   0:   aload_0
   1:   astore_1
   2:   aload_1
   3:   arraylength
   4:   istore_2
   5:   iconst_0
   6:   istore_3
   7:   iload_3
   8:   iload_2
   9:   if_icmpge   31
   12:  aload_1
   13:  iload_3
   14:  aaload
   15:  astore  4
   17:  getstatic   #2; //Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
   20:  aload   4
   22:  invokevirtual   #3; //Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
   25:  iinc    3, 1
   28:  goto    7
   31:  return

Now change it to use an explicit array access:

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++)
    {
        System.out.println(args[i]);
    }
}

This decompiles to:

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
  Code:
   0:   iconst_0
   1:   istore_1
   2:   iload_1
   3:   aload_0
   4:   arraylength
   5:   if_icmpge   23
   8:   getstatic   #2; //Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
   11:  aload_0
   12:  iload_1
   13:  aaload
   14:  invokevirtual   #3; //Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
   17:  iinc    1, 1
   20:  goto    2
   23:  return

There's a bit more setup code in the enhanced for loop, but they're basically doing the same thing. No iterators are involved. Furthermore, I'd expect them to get JITted to even more similar code.

Suggestion: if you really think it might make a significant difference (which it would only ever do if the body of the loop is absolutely miniscule) then you should benchmark it with your real application. That's the only situation which matters.

2 of 6
22

This falls squarely in the arena of micro-optimization. It really doesn't matter. Stylistically I always prefer the second because it's more concise, unless you need the loop counter for something else. And that's far more important than this kind of micro-optimization: readability.

That being said, For an ArrayList there won't be much difference but a LinkedList will be much more efficient with the second.

๐ŸŒ
Blogger
javarevisited.blogspot.com โ€บ 2016 โ€บ 02 โ€บ how-to-loop-through-array-in-java-with.html
How to loop through an Array in Java? Example Tutorial
The traditional loop uses a counter and allows you to iterate until the last element is reached i.e. counter is equal to the length of the array while enhanced for loop maintains that counter internally, allowing you to iterate without worrying about counts. This results in clean code and also eliminates the possibility of one-off errors. In this article, I'll show you 2 ways to iterate over an array, first by using traditional for loop and second by using enhanced for loop of Java 1.5.
๐ŸŒ
Runestone Academy
runestone.academy โ€บ ns โ€บ books โ€บ published โ€บ csjava โ€บ Unit7-Arrays โ€บ topic-7-2-traversing-arrays.html
7.2. Traversing Arrays with For Loops โ€” CS Java
First trace through it on paper keeping track of the array and the index variable. Then, run it to see if you were right. You can also follow it in the visualizer by clicking on the Show Code Lens button. We can use iteration with a for loop to visit each element of an array.
Find elsewhere
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TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com โ€บ what-are-the-different-ways-to-iterate-over-an-array-in-java
What are the different ways to iterate over an array in Java?
July 2, 2020 - import java.util.Arrays; public class IteratingArray { public static void main(String args[]) { //Creating an array int myArray[] = new int[7]; //Populating the array myArray[0] = 1254; myArray[1] = 1458; myArray[2] = 5687; myArray[3] = 1457; myArray[4] = 4554; myArray[5] = 5445; myArray[6] = 7524; //Printing Contents using for each loop System.out.println("Contents of the array: "); for (int element: myArray) { System.out.println(element); } } }
๐ŸŒ
DEV Community
dev.to โ€บ jacobisah โ€บ java-iteration-tutorial-how-to-loop-through-an-array-in-java-3ad
Java Iteration Tutorial: How to Loop Through an Array in Java - DEV Community
August 15, 2022 - The condition is verified both at startup and at the beginning of each iteration. If this condition is met, the loop body is performed. If it is false, the loop is terminated and the program control is transferred to the line after the loop. To loop through arrayelements, the for-each loop is utilized.
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Instructables
instructables.com โ€บ design โ€บ software
How to Use a While Loop to Iterate an Array in Java : 9 Steps - Instructables
July 22, 2022 - How to Use a While Loop to Iterate an Array in Java: Today I will be showing you how to use Java to create a While loop that can be used to iterate through a list of numbers or words. This concept is for entry-level programmers and anyone who wants to get a quick brush-up on Java Loops and arrays.
๐ŸŒ
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org โ€บ java โ€บ for-each-loop-in-java
For-Each Loop in Java - GeeksforGeeks
1 month ago - Example 2: Iterating in a List using for-each loop ... import java.util.*; class Geeks { public static void main(String[] args) { List<Integer> list = new ArrayList<>(); list.add(3); list.add(5); list.add(7); list.add(9); int max = Integer.MIN_VALUE; for (int num : list) { if (num > max) { max = num; } } System.out.println("List of Integers: " + list); System.out.println("Maximum element: " + max); } }
๐ŸŒ
Zero To Mastery
zerotomastery.io โ€บ blog โ€บ enhanced-for-loop-java
How To Use Enhanced For Loops In Java (aka 'foreach') | Zero To Mastery
January 26, 2024 - I know we covered quite a few things here, so hopefully you managed to grasp what we've been talking about. ... The enhanced for loop (also known as a foreach) loop in Java offers a simplified, error-resistant way to iterate over arrays and ...
๐ŸŒ
EDUCBA
educba.com โ€บ home โ€บ software development โ€บ software development tutorials โ€บ java tutorial โ€บ java array iterator
Java Array Iterator | How Does an Array Iterator Works in Java?
March 28, 2023 - As we discussed above, array elements can be iterated in 3 ways, so based on the looping functionality array can iterate its elements. ... public class Main { public static void main(String[] args) { //defining static array with 10 elements int arrayNumbers[] = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}; //for loop for(int i=0;i<arrayNumbers.length;i++) { //displaying array index and its corresponding values System.out.println("arrayNumbers["+i+"]"+" index value :"+arrayNumbers[i]); } } } ... import java.util.Scanner; public class Main { public static void main(String[] args) { // Scanner for taking input from us
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Programiz
programiz.com โ€บ java-programming โ€บ enhanced-for-loop
Java for-each Loop (With Examples)
In Java, the for-each loop is used to iterate through elements of arrays and collections (like ArrayList).
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Quora
quora.com โ€บ Can-you-iterate-through-an-array-in-Java-using-only-one-loop
Can you iterate through an array in Java using only one loop? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Yes, you can iterate through an array in Java using only one loop. You can use a [code ]for[/code] loop to achieve this. [code]int[] numbers = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; for (int i = 0; i
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LabEx
labex.io โ€บ tutorials โ€บ java-how-to-iterate-array-elements-efficiently-418988
How to iterate array elements efficiently | LabEx
Use enhanced for loop when you only need to read array elements ยท LabEx recommends practicing these iteration techniques to become proficient in Java array manipulation.