Replace null values with default value in Java Map
Last Updated :
11 Jul, 2025
Given a Map with null values in it, the task is to replace all the null values with a default value.
Examples:
Input: map = {1=1, 2=2, 3=null, 4=4, 5=null, 6=null}, defaultValue = 0
Output: {1=1, 2=2, 3=0, 4=4, 5=0, 6=0}
Input: map = {1=A, 2=B, 3=null, 4=D, 5=null, 6=null}, defaultValue = 'Z'
Output: {1=A, 2=B, 3=Z, 4=D, 5=Z, 6=Z}
Approach:
- Get the map with null values and the default value to be replaced with.
- Get the set view of the Map using Map.entrySet() method.
- Convert the obtained set view into stream using stream() method.
- Now map the null values to default value with the help of map() method.
- Collect the modified stream into Map using collect() method.
- The null values has been successfully replaced with default value.
Below is the implementation of the above approach:
Example 1: With integers.
Java
// Java program to replace null values
// of a map with a default value
import java.util.*;
import java.util.stream.*;
class GFG {
// Function to replace the null values
public static <T, K> Map<K, T>
replaceNullValues(Map<K, T> map, T defaultValue)
{
// Replace the null value
map = map.entrySet()
.stream()
.map(entry -> {
if (entry.getValue() == null)
entry.setValue(defaultValue);
return entry;
})
.collect(Collectors.toMap(Map.Entry::getKey,
Map.Entry::getValue));
return map;
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Get the map
Map<Integer, Integer> map = new HashMap<>();
map.put(1, 1);
map.put(2, 2);
map.put(3, null);
map.put(4, 4);
map.put(5, null);
map.put(6, null);
// Get the default value
int defaultValue = 0;
// Print the original map
System.out.println("Map with null values: "
+ map);
// Replace the null values with the defaultValue
map = replaceNullValues(map, defaultValue);
// Print the modified map
System.out.println("Map with null value replaced: "
+ map);
}
}
Output:
Map with null values: {1=1, 2=2, 3=null, 4=4, 5=null, 6=null}
Map with null value replaced: {1=1, 2=2, 3=0, 4=4, 5=0, 6=0}
Example 2: With characters.
Java
// Java program to replace null values
// of a map with a default value
import java.util.*;
import java.util.stream.*;
class GFG {
// Function to replace the null values
public static <T, K> Map<K, T>
replaceNullValues(Map<K, T> map, T defaultValue)
{
// Replace the null value
map = map.entrySet()
.stream()
.map(entry -> {
if (entry.getValue() == null)
entry.setValue(defaultValue);
return entry;
})
.collect(Collectors.toMap(Map.Entry::getKey,
Map.Entry::getValue));
return map;
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Get the map
Map<Integer, Character> map = new HashMap<>();
map.put(1, 'A');
map.put(2, 'B');
map.put(3, null);
map.put(4, 'D');
map.put(5, null);
map.put(6, null);
// Get the default value
char defaultValue = 'Z';
// Print the original map
System.out.println("Map with null values: "
+ map);
// Replace the null values with the defaultValue
map = replaceNullValues(map, defaultValue);
// Print the modified map
System.out.println("Map with null value replaced: "
+ map);
}
}
Output:
Map with null values: {1=A, 2=B, 3=null, 4=D, 5=null, 6=null}
Map with null value replaced: {1=A, 2=B, 3=Z, 4=D, 5=Z, 6=Z}
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