How to Make a Collection Read-Only in Java?

Last Updated : 11 Aug, 2021

The Collections class is used as a data structure to manage the data. We can add, remove, fetch, and update the data in the List, Set, or Map Object. Collections class has default methods for these operations. We can use those methods easily. By default, when we create an object of the Collections class, it will be Both Readable and Writable.

Read-only Collection: To make the object of Collections to Read-Only, we need to restrict an object to add, remove, or update data from it. The only operation is to fetch the data.

Java has different methods for different Collection type like unmodifiableCollection(), unmodifiableMap(), ununmodifiableSet() e.t.c. All the methods are predefined in java.util.Collections class.The unmodifiableCollection() is a generic method to make Read-Only collection. We need to make the reference of Collections class for that. If we have an object of Set Interface, we can use ununmodifiableSet() to make Read-Only.

Example 1: Below code shows how to make a List unmodifiable.

Java

// Java Program to make Collections Read-Only  import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.Collections; import java.util.List;  public class GFG {      public static void main(String[] args)     {         // List of Integer         List<Integer> numbers = new ArrayList<>();          // List have 1 to 10 numbers         for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {             numbers.add(i);         }          // Iterate on the stream of integers and         // print them         numbers.stream().forEach(System.out::print);          // Now we are adding one more element         numbers.add(11);          // Removing element from the list         numbers.remove(8);          // Updating List¶         numbers.set(4, 4);          System.out.println(             "\nAfter Performing Some Operations");          numbers.stream().forEach(System.out::print);          System.out.println(             "\nHence By default Collections object is Readable and Writable");          // Now making Read-Only List         // Using unmodifiableList() method.         try {             numbers = Collections.unmodifiableList(numbers);              // This line will generate an Exception             numbers.remove(11);         }         catch (UnsupportedOperationException                    unsupportedOperationException) {             System.out.println(                 "Exceptions is "                 + unsupportedOperationException);         }         finally {             System.out.println(numbers.get(3));             System.out.println(                 "Now list is only Read-Only");         }     } }

Output

12345678910 After Performing Some Operations 123446781011 Hence By default Collections object is Readable and Writable Exceptions is java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException 4 Now list is only Read-Only

Above is an example of how to make a list Read-Only. Before making Read-Only we can perform CRUD operations but after making Read-only list, set(), add(), and remove() methods will generate Exceptions. We can now only fetch the data from the list.

Example 2: Below code shows how to make a Set unmodifiable.

Java

// Java Program to make // Set Interface Object Read-Only  import java.util.Set; import java.util.HashSet; import java.util.Collections;  class GFG {      public static void main(String[] args)     {         // Set of Integer         Set<Integer> numbers = new HashSet<Integer>();          // Set have 1 to 10 numbers         for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {             numbers.add(i);         }          // print the integers         numbers.stream().forEach(System.out::print);          // Removing element from the list         numbers.remove(5);          System.out.println("\nAfter Performing Operation");          numbers.stream().forEach(System.out::print);          System.out.println(             "\nSet is also By Default Readable and Writable");          // Now making Read-Only Set         // Using unmodifiableSet() method.         try {             numbers = Collections.unmodifiableSet(numbers);              // This line will generate an Exception             numbers.remove(4);         }         catch (UnsupportedOperationException                    unsupportedOperationException) {             System.out.println(                 "Exceptions is "                 + unsupportedOperationException);         }         finally {             System.out.println(numbers.contains(3));             System.out.println("Now Set is Read-Only");         }     } }

Output

12345 After Performing Operation 1234 Set is also By Default Readable and Writable Exceptions is java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException true Now Set is Read-Only

In Above Example, We make Set as Read-Only. We can make Collections object Read-Only by using unmodifiableCollection() and to make Map Read-Only we can use unmodifiableMap() method.