hashCode() method

[Shubhada Nandarshi]

hi guys,
what is purpose of hashCode() method? In which type of programs we can use it? can u explain it with example...I didn't found any example that will help me to understand this topic in detail.

please.....help me......

[Marc Marechal]

HashCode is a function used in hash tables.

You can see this for a good example and explanation : http://www.sparknotes.com/cs/searching/hashtables/section1.html

In Java, hash tables are used for HashSet, HashMap, ...

The hashCode() function need to be defined in objects you want to store in a collection implementing a hash table, such as HashSet, ...

For a good way to implement hashCode(), you should look at Effective java Programming Language Guide, Item 8.

For a tutorial on Collections in Java, you can look at : http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/collections/index.html