dynamic array vs arraylist

dynamic arrays vs. arraylists

when dealing with collections of data, two common structures you'll encounter are dynamic arrays and arraylists. both are used to store a collection of items, but they have different characteristics and use cases.

dynamic arrays

a **dynamic array** is a data structure that can grow and shrink in size. unlike a traditional fixed-size array, a dynamic array allocates its memory on the heap, allowing it to resize itself as needed. this is typically done by creating a new larger array and copying the contents of the old array into it when more space is required.

key characteristics:
- **resizing**: when the array reaches its capacity, a new array is created, often double the size, and the old elements are copied over.
- **efficiency**: while resizing can be costly (o(n) time complexity), the amortized time complexity for adding an element is o(1).
- **memory**: requires contiguous memory allocation.

arraylists

**arraylist** is a part of the java collections framework. it is essentially a dynamic array but comes with additional functionality. it provides methods for manipulation, such as adding, removing, and accessing elements.

key characteristics:
- **wrapper for dynamic arrays**: built on top of dynamic arrays.
- **convenient api**: provides built-in methods for operations like adding and removing elements.
- **type safety**: using java generics, you can specify the type of elements the arraylist will hold.

code examples

let's explore both dynamic arrays and arraylists through some code examples in java.

example 1: dynamic array

here is a simple implementation of a dynamic array in java:

example 2: using arraylist

now, here's how you would achieve similar functionality with an arraylist:

comparison

| feature | dynamic array | arraylist |
|--------------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| resizing ...

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