Java MCQ: What is the front of a Queue?
Answer:
Explanation:
The front of a queue refers to the first element that was added to the queue. In a queue, elements are added at the rear (or end) and removed from the front, following the FIFO (First In First Out) principle. The front element is the one that will be dequeued next, making it the oldest element in the queue.
This behavior is consistent with real-life queues, such as waiting in line where the first person to arrive is the first one to be served. The concept of the front of a queue is crucial in understanding how queues operate and is used in various applications like task scheduling, managing requests in a server, and handling print jobs.
Here’s an example of accessing the front element of a queue in Java:
import java.util.LinkedList;
import java.util.Queue;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Queue<Integer> queue = new LinkedList<>();
queue.add(10);
queue.add(20);
queue.add(30);
int frontElement = queue.peek(); // Access the front element
System.out.println(frontElement); // Outputs: 10
}
}
In this example, the peek()
method is used to access the front element (10) without removing it from the queue. Understanding the role of the front in a queue is essential for managing the order of processing elements, particularly in scenarios where maintaining the order of arrival is critical.