The Collections Framework is supplied with all versions of the Java 2 platform and provides programmers with incredibly efficient ways to manipulate data. However, given the large number of methods and classes in this library, using them correctly is hardly a cakewalk. Well-known columnist and bestselling author John Zukowski gives the Java professional exactly what he or she needs to know about this vital library in order to maximize productivity. This practical book contains comprehensive coverage of the important Collections Framework from the working programmer's point of view, while staying away from academic abstractions. Java Collections leads you through the standard Java support for maintaining abstract groups of data, from the historical collection classes available since the inception of Java time, through the Collections Framework introduced with the Java 2 platform, and on to third-party alternative libraries for times when the standard support isn't enough. If you're working with data in Java programs, you need to understand the Collections Framework. Let Zukowski's Java Collections be your guide!