ArrayList size of elements

[tenshekels]

Does anyone know how the ArrayList works in regards to sizing of elements? What I mean is if you add 1,000 byte values to an ArrayList does that mean that the ArrayList is then 1,000 bytes long - or does it store each byte as a generic "object" - thus storing it as a 4 bytes each??

 

[tenshekels]

To answer my own question - the byte value is "boxed" - therefore for each byte you add an "object" and a "byte" to the heap (the "object" is a reference to the "byte" value).

So an array instance of 1,000 "bytes" would occupy 5,000 bytes on the heap.

 

[tenshekels]

Someone else informed me...

"Actually, you'd end up taking more than that - 4 bytes for the actual value, 8 bytes (IIRC) object overhead, and 4 bytes for the reference in the ArrayList. Basically, you don't want to be doing that... "