Convert an Iterator to a List in Java

Given an Iterator, the task is to convert it into List in Java.

Examples:

Input: Iterator = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Input: Iterator = {'G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's'}
Output: {'G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's'}

Below are the various ways to do so:

• Naive Approach:
  1. Get the Iterator.
  2. Create an empty list.
  3. Add each element of the iterator to the list using forEachRemaining() method.
  4. Return the list.

  Below is the implementation of the above approach:

  // Java program to get a List
  // from a given Iterator
  
  import java.util.*;
  
  class GFG {
  
      // Function to get the List
      public static <T> List<T>
      getListFromIterator(Iterator<T> iterator)
      {
  
          // Create an empty list
          List<T> list = new ArrayList<>();
  
          // Add each element of iterator to the List
          iterator.forEachRemaining(list::add);
  
          // Return the List
          return list;
      }
  
      // Driver code
      public static void main(String[] args)
      {
  
          // Get the Iterator
          Iterator<Integer>
              iterator = Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
                             .iterator();
  
          // Get the List from the Iterator
          List<Integer>
              list = getListFromIterator(iterator);
  
          // Print the list
          System.out.println(list);
      }
  }
  Output:

  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  

• Using Iterable as intermediate:
  1. Get the Iterator.
  2. Convert the iterator to iterable using lambda expression.
  3. Convert the iterable to list using Stream.
  4. Return the list.

  Below is the implementation of the above approach:

  // Java program to get a List
  // from a given Iterator
  
  import java.util.*;
  import java.util.stream.Collectors;
  import java.util.stream.StreamSupport;
  
  class GFG {
  
      // Function to get the List
      public static <T> List<T>
      getListFromIterator(Iterator<T> iterator)
      {
  
          // Convert iterator to iterable
          Iterable<T> iterable = () -> iterator;
  
          // Create a List from the Iterable
          List<T> list = StreamSupport
                             .stream(iterable.spliterator(), false)
                             .collect(Collectors.toList());
  
          // Return the List
          return list;
      }
  
      // Driver code
      public static void main(String[] args)
      {
  
          // Get the Iterator
          Iterator<Integer>
              iterator = Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
                             .iterator();
  
          // Get the List from the Iterator
          List<Integer>
              list = getListFromIterator(iterator);
  
          // Print the list
          System.out.println(list);
      }
  }
  Output:

  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]