ListIterator (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.util.ListIterator interface
Date: 2026-04-17

compact1, compact2, compact3
java.util

## Interface ListIterator<E>

- All Superinterfaces:
    Iterator<E>

      public interface ListIterator<E>
      extends Iterator<E>

  An iterator for lists that allows the programmer to traverse the list in either direction, modify the list during iteration, and obtain the iterator's current position in the list. A `ListIterator` has no current element; its cursor position always lies between the element that would be returned by a call to `previous()` and the element that would be returned by a call to `next()`. An iterator for a list of length `n` has `n+1` possible cursor positions, as illustrated by the carets (`^`) below:

                            Element(0)   Element(1)   Element(2)   ... Element(n-1)
       cursor positions:  ^            ^            ^            ^                  ^

  Note that the `remove()` and `set(Object)` methods are not defined in terms of the cursor position; they are defined to operate on the last element returned by a call to `next()` or `previous()`.

  This interface is a member of the Java Collections Framework.

  Since:
    1.2
  See Also:
    `Collection`, `List`, `Iterator`, `Enumeration`, `List.listIterator()`

- - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | `add(E e)` Inserts the specified element into the list (optional operation).
    `boolean` | `hasNext()` Returns `true` if this list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the forward direction.
    `boolean` | `hasPrevious()` Returns `true` if this list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the reverse direction.
    `E` | `next()` Returns the next element in the list and advances the cursor position.
    `int` | `nextIndex()` Returns the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `next()`.
    `E` | `previous()` Returns the previous element in the list and moves the cursor position backwards.
    `int` | `previousIndex()` Returns the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `previous()`.
    `void` | `remove()` Removes from the list the last element that was returned by `next()` or `previous()` (optional operation).
    `void` | `set(E e)` Replaces the last element returned by `next()` or `previous()` with the specified element (optional operation).

    - ### Methods inherited from interface java.util.Iterator

      `forEachRemaining`

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### hasNext

          boolean hasNext()

      Returns `true` if this list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the forward direction. (In other words, returns `true` if `next()` would return an element rather than throwing an exception.)
      Specified by:
        `hasNext` in interface `Iterator<E>`
      Returns:
        `true` if the list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the forward direction

    - #### next

          E next()

      Returns the next element in the list and advances the cursor position. This method may be called repeatedly to iterate through the list, or intermixed with calls to `previous()` to go back and forth. (Note that alternating calls to `next` and `previous` will return the same element repeatedly.)
      Specified by:
        `next` in interface `Iterator<E>`
      Returns:
        the next element in the list
      Throws:
        `NoSuchElementException` - if the iteration has no next element

    - #### hasPrevious

          boolean hasPrevious()

      Returns `true` if this list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the reverse direction. (In other words, returns `true` if `previous()` would return an element rather than throwing an exception.)
      Returns:
        `true` if the list iterator has more elements when traversing the list in the reverse direction

    - #### previous

          E previous()

      Returns the previous element in the list and moves the cursor position backwards. This method may be called repeatedly to iterate through the list backwards, or intermixed with calls to `next()` to go back and forth. (Note that alternating calls to `next` and `previous` will return the same element repeatedly.)
      Returns:
        the previous element in the list
      Throws:
        `NoSuchElementException` - if the iteration has no previous element

    - #### nextIndex

          int nextIndex()

      Returns the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `next()`. (Returns list size if the list iterator is at the end of the list.)
      Returns:
        the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `next`, or list size if the list iterator is at the end of the list

    - #### previousIndex

          int previousIndex()

      Returns the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `previous()`. (Returns -1 if the list iterator is at the beginning of the list.)
      Returns:
        the index of the element that would be returned by a subsequent call to `previous`, or -1 if the list iterator is at the beginning of the list

    - #### remove

          void remove()

      Removes from the list the last element that was returned by `next()` or `previous()` (optional operation). This call can only be made once per call to `next` or `previous`. It can be made only if `add(E)` has not been called after the last call to `next` or `previous`.
      Specified by:
        `remove` in interface `Iterator<E>`
      Throws:
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - if the `remove` operation is not supported by this list iterator
        `IllegalStateException` - if neither `next` nor `previous` have been called, or `remove` or `add` have been called after the last call to `next` or `previous`

    - #### set

          void set(E e)

      Replaces the last element returned by `next()` or `previous()` with the specified element (optional operation). This call can be made only if neither `remove()` nor `add(E)` have been called after the last call to `next` or `previous`.
      Parameters:
        `e` - the element with which to replace the last element returned by `next` or `previous`
      Throws:
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - if the `set` operation is not supported by this list iterator
        `ClassCastException` - if the class of the specified element prevents it from being added to this list
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if some aspect of the specified element prevents it from being added to this list
        `IllegalStateException` - if neither `next` nor `previous` have been called, or `remove` or `add` have been called after the last call to `next` or `previous`

    - #### add

          void add(E e)

      Inserts the specified element into the list (optional operation). The element is inserted immediately before the element that would be returned by `next()`, if any, and after the element that would be returned by `previous()`, if any. (If the list contains no elements, the new element becomes the sole element on the list.) The new element is inserted before the implicit cursor: a subsequent call to `next` would be unaffected, and a subsequent call to `previous` would return the new element. (This call increases by one the value that would be returned by a call to `nextIndex` or `previousIndex`.)
      Parameters:
        `e` - the element to insert
      Throws:
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - if the `add` method is not supported by this list iterator
        `ClassCastException` - if the class of the specified element prevents it from being added to this list
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if some aspect of this element prevents it from being added to this list

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