HashTable putIfAbsent() method in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 30 Sep, 2019

The putIfAbsent(Key, value) method of Hashtable class which allows to map a value to a given key if given key is not associated with a value or mapped to null. A null value is returned if such key-value set is already present in the HashMap. Syntax:

public V putIfAbsent(K key, V value)

Parameters: This method accepts two parameters:

key: specifies the key to which the specified value is to be mapped if key is not associated with any value.
value: specifies the value to be mapped to the specified key.

Returns: This method returns the existing value mapped to the key and returns null if no value is previously mapped to the key. Exception: This method throws:

NullPointerException: when the specified parameters are null.

Below programs illustrate the putIfAbsent(Key, value) method: Program 1:

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// putIfAbsent(key, value) method.

import java.util.*;

public class GFG {

    // Main method
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        // create a table and add some values
        Map<String, Integer>
            table = new Hashtable<>();

        table.put("Pen", 10);
        table.put("Book", 500);
        table.put("Clothes", 400);
        table.put("Mobile", 5000);

        // print map details
        System.out.println("hashTable: "
                           + table.toString());

        // Inserting non-existing key with value
        // using putIfAbsent method
        String retValue
            = String.valueOf(table
                                 .putIfAbsent("Booklet", 2500));

        // Print the returned value
        System.out.println("Returned value "
                           + "for Key 'Booklet' is: "
                           + retValue);

        // print new mapping
        System.out.println("hashTable: "
                           + table);

        // Inserting existing key with value
        // using putIfAbsent method
        retValue
            = String.valueOf(table
                                 .putIfAbsent("Book", 4500));

        // Print the returned value
        System.out.println("Returned value"
                           + " for key 'Book' is: "
                           + retValue);

        // print new mapping
        System.out.println("hashTable: "
                           + table);
    }
}

Output:

hashTable: {Book=500, Mobile=5000, Pen=10, Clothes=400}
Returned value for Key 'Booklet' is: null
hashTable: {Book=500, Mobile=5000, Pen=10, Clothes=400, Booklet=2500}
Returned value for key 'Book' is: 500
hashTable: {Book=500, Mobile=5000, Pen=10, Clothes=400, Booklet=2500}

Program 2: To Show NullPointerException

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// putIfAbsent(key, value) method.

import java.util.*;

public class GFG {

    // Main method
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        // create a table and add some values
        Map<Integer, String>
            table = new Hashtable<>();

        table.put(1, "100RS");
        table.put(2, "500RS");
        table.put(3, "1000RS");

        // print map details
        System.out.println("hashTable: "
                           + table.toString());

        try {

            table.putIfAbsent(null, "8");
        }
        catch (NullPointerException e) {

            System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
        }
    }
}

Output:

hashTable: {3=1000RS, 2=500RS, 1=100RS}
Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException

References: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/Hashtable.html#putIfAbsent-K-V-

Java Hashtable put() Method

AmanSingh2210

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HashTable putIfAbsent() method in Java with Examples

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