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Java ArrayList clone() Method with Example

ArrayList Class clone() method: Here, we are going to learn about the clone() method of ArrayList Class with its syntax and example.
Submitted by Preeti Jain, on January 18, 2020

ArrayList Class clone() method

• clone() method is available in java.util package.
• clone() method is used to return or clone a copy of this Arraylist.
• clone() method is a non-static method so it is accessible with the class object and if we try to access the method with the class name then we will get an error.
• clone() method does not throw an exception at the time of returning clone objects.

Syntax:

     public Object clone();

Parameter(s):

• It does not accept any parameter.

Return value:

In the first case, the return type of the method is Object, it returns the cloned Arraylist.

Example:

// Java program to demonstrate the example 
// of Object clone() method of ArrayList.

import java.util.*;

public class CloneOfArrayList {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create an ArrayList with initial 
        // capacity of storing elements

        ArrayList < String > arr_l1 = new ArrayList < String > (10);
        ArrayList < String > arr_l2 = new ArrayList < String > (10);

        // By using add() method is to add 
        // elements in this ArrayList

        arr_l1.add("C");
        arr_l1.add("C++");
        arr_l1.add("JAVA");
        arr_l1.add("DOTNET");
        arr_l1.add("PHP");
        arr_l1.add("JAVA");

        // Display ArrayList arr_l1
        System.out.println("ArrayList Elements :" + arr_l1);

        // By using clone(Object) method is to
        // clone the ArrayList 1
        arr_l2 = (ArrayList) arr_l1.clone();

        // Display ArrayList arr_l2
        System.out.println("arr_l1.clone() : " + arr_l2);
    }
}

Output

ArrayList Elements :[C, C++, JAVA, DOTNET, PHP, JAVA]
arr_l1.clone() : [C, C++, JAVA, DOTNET, PHP, JAVA]