Java Interview Questions & Answers
Q: What is Java?
A: Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems
(now owned by Oracle). It is platform-independent because of the JVM (Java Virtual Machine).
Q: What are the main features of Java?
A: Java is simple, object-oriented, platform-independent, secure, multithreaded, robust, and has
automatic memory management (Garbage Collection).
Q: What is JVM, JDK, and JRE?
A: JVM (Java Virtual Machine) runs Java programs. JRE (Java Runtime Environment) provides
libraries + JVM for running Java programs. JDK (Java Development Kit) includes JRE + tools for
development (like compiler).
Q: What is the difference between == and .equals()?
A: == is used to compare references (memory location). .equals() is used to compare values
(content).
Q: What is the difference between Array and ArrayList?
A: Array has fixed size, can store primitive data types and objects. ArrayList is dynamic (resizable)
and stores only objects.
Q: What is the difference between final, finally, and finalize()?
A: final → keyword to make variable constant, method not overridable, or class not inheritable.
finally → block used in exception handling, always executes. finalize() → method called by Garbage
Collector before destroying an object.
Q: What are constructors in Java?
A: A constructor is a special method used to initialize objects. It has the same name as the class
and does not return anything.
Q: What is method overloading and overriding?
A: Overloading → Same method name but different parameters (compile-time polymorphism).
Overriding → Subclass provides its own implementation of a method defined in parent class
(runtime polymorphism).
Q: What is an interface in Java?
A: An interface is a collection of abstract methods (from Java 8 onwards, it can have default and
static methods too). It is used for abstraction and multiple inheritance.
Q: What is the difference between abstract class and interface?
A: Abstract class can have both abstract and non-abstract methods, supports single inheritance.
Interface can only have abstract methods (before Java 8), supports multiple inheritance.
Q: What is exception handling in Java?
A: Exception handling is a mechanism to handle runtime errors so that normal flow of the program
is maintained. It uses try, catch, finally, throw, and throws keywords.
Q: What is multithreading in Java?
A: Multithreading means executing multiple tasks simultaneously. It improves CPU utilization. In
Java, it can be achieved by extending Thread class or implementing Runnable interface.
Q: What is the difference between HashMap and Hashtable?
A: HashMap is not synchronized, allows one null key and multiple null values. Hashtable is
synchronized, does not allow null key or null values.
Q: What are Lambda Expressions?
A: Lambda expressions (introduced in Java 8) provide a way to write short code using functional
style. They are used mainly for implementing functional interfaces.
Q: What are Streams in Java?
A: Streams (Java 8) are used for processing collections in a functional style. They support
operations like filter, map, reduce, etc.
