How entrySet() works internally in HashMap?

Question

I am trying to understand entrySet() function in HashMap but I am not sure how it is working and from where the values are being populated when creating new EntrySet().

public Set<Map.Entry<K,V>> entrySet() {
    return entrySet0();
}

private Set<Map.Entry<K,V>> entrySet0() {
    Set<Map.Entry<K,V>> es = entrySet;
    return es != null ? es : (entrySet = new EntrySet());
}

Answer 1

The following is the source code of entrySet() in jdk8:

public Set<Map.Entry<K,V>> entrySet() {
    Set<Map.Entry<K,V>> es;
    return (es = entrySet) == null ? (entrySet = new EntrySet()) : es;
}

final class EntrySet extends AbstractSet<Map.Entry<K,V>> {
    public final int size()                 { return size; }
    public final void clear()               { HashMap.this.clear(); }
    public final Iterator<Map.Entry<K,V>> iterator() {
        return new EntryIterator();//get the iterator
    }
    public final boolean contains(Object o) {
        if (!(o instanceof Map.Entry))
            return false;
        Map.Entry<?,?> e = (Map.Entry<?,?>) o;
        Object key = e.getKey();
        Node<K,V> candidate = getNode(hash(key), key);
        return candidate != null && candidate.equals(e);
    }
    public final boolean remove(Object o) {
        if (o instanceof Map.Entry) {
            Map.Entry<?,?> e = (Map.Entry<?,?>) o;
            Object key = e.getKey();
            Object value = e.getValue();
            return removeNode(hash(key), key, value, true, true) != null;
        }
        return false;
    }
    public final Spliterator<Map.Entry<K,V>> spliterator() {
        return new EntrySpliterator<>(HashMap.this, 0, -1, 0, 0);
    }
    public final void forEach(Consumer<? super Map.Entry<K,V>> action) {
        Node<K,V>[] tab;
        if (action == null)
            throw new NullPointerException();
        if (size > 0 && (tab = table) != null) {
            int mc = modCount;
            for (int i = 0; i < tab.length; ++i) {
                for (Node<K,V> e = tab[i]; e != null; e = e.next)
                    action.accept(e);
            }
            if (modCount != mc)
                throw new ConcurrentModificationException();
        }
    }
}

First: when we use entrySet() method, it return new EntrySet(), which is an instance of EntrySet. And this class has a iterator() method, which can be used in for ...loop. And the iterator() method return an iterator(class: EntryIterator)

Second: we read the source code of final class EntryIterator:

final class EntryIterator extends HashIterator implements Iterator<Map.Entry<K,V>> {
    public final Map.Entry<K,V> next() { return nextNode(); }
}

From the code, we can see it implements next() method. And it return nextNode();

Third: we read the source code of nextNode method (it is in HashIterator class):

abstract class HashIterator {
    Node<K,V> next;        // next entry to return
    Node<K,V> current;     // current entry
    int expectedModCount;  // for fast-fail
    int index;             // current slot

    HashIterator() { //when new EntryIterator, this will load data first.
        expectedModCount = modCount;
        Node<K,V>[] t = table;
        current = next = null;
        index = 0;
        if (t != null && size > 0) { // advance to first entry
            do {} while (index < t.length && (next = t[index++]) == null);
        }
    }

    public final boolean hasNext() {
        return next != null;
    }

    final Node<K,V> nextNode() {
        Node<K,V>[] t;
        Node<K,V> e = next;
        if (modCount != expectedModCount)
            throw new ConcurrentModificationException();
        if (e == null)
            throw new NoSuchElementException();
        if ((next = (current = e).next) == null && (t = table) != null) {
            do {} while (index < t.length && (next = t[index++]) == null);
        }
        return e;
    }

    public final void remove() {
        Node<K,V> p = current;
        if (p == null)
            throw new IllegalStateException();
        if (modCount != expectedModCount)
            throw new ConcurrentModificationException();
        current = null;
        K key = p.key;
        removeNode(hash(key), key, null, false, false);
        expectedModCount = modCount;
    }
}

According to the order of new an Object. It will use the constructor function >based on the order: Object ---> Superclass ---> the last will be itself

jsut like : new HashIterator() then new EntryIterator()

when new EntryIterator(), it will use HashIterator's constructor method before itself. We can see it will load the data of HashMap when we use HashIterator's constructor method.

And nextNode() method get the data from these data. So we can use for ... loop to get all node of HashMap Object.