java的位桶是什么,hashmap中的存储桶究竟是什么？

Recently, in an interview I was asked, what exactly is a bucket in hashmap? Whether it is an array or a arraylist or what?

I got confused. I know hashmaps are backed by arrays. So can I say that bucket is an array with a capacity of 16 in the start storing hashcodes and to which linked lists have their start pointer ?

I know how a hashmap internally works, just wanted to know what exactly is a bucket in terms of data structures.

解决方案

No, a bucket is each element in the array you are referring to. In earlier Java versions, each bucket contained a linked list of Map entries. In new Java versions, each bucket contains either a tree structure of entries or a linked list of entries.

From the implementation notes in Java 8:

/*

* Implementation notes.

*

* This map usually acts as a binned (bucketed) hash table, but

* when bins get too large, they are transformed into bins of

* TreeNodes, each structured similarly to those in

* java.util.TreeMap. Most methods try to use normal bins, but

* relay to TreeNode methods when applicable (simply by checking

* instanceof a node). Bins of TreeNodes may be traversed and

* used like any others, but additionally support faster lookup

* when overpopulated. However, since the vast majority of bins in

* normal use are not overpopulated, checking for existence of

* tree bins may be delayed in the course of table methods.

...