Container/HashMap question

[DoraC]

Hi,

I have a situation in which I need to be able to retrieve all keys associated with a particular value in a HashMap. However, I don't believe the class HashMap provides any methods to do this. I know I can obtain an EntrySet and then iterate through that, but I would like to know if there is a more "accepted" way to do this - perhaps a collection class or technique I'm unaware of.

Thanks, any help appreciated!!!
dora

 

[idarke]

I think an iterator would be the most straightforward way to do it.

If you have to do it a lot (in a loop), execution speed might be a factor. In that case you might consider maintaining a second HashMap keyed on the value of the first one and containing the number of duplicate entries in the first HashMap. You'd still have to build it once, but thereafter the access would be fast. But I would only consider doing that in a refactoring phase to optimize the process - if needed. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth." ~ Arthur Conan Doyle