What are the differences between immutable collections and thread-safe collections?

What are the differences between immutable collections and thread-safe collections?

Immutable collections are data structures that cannot be modified after creation, while thread-safe collections are designed to be safely accessed by multiple threads concurrently.

Can you give me examples of each type?

Sure! An example of an immutable collection is List.of() in Java, while ConcurrentHashMap is a common thread-safe collection.

When should I use one over the other?

Use immutable collections when you need to ensure data integrity and avoid side effects. Use thread-safe collections when you need to manage concurrent access in multi-threaded applications.

Are there performance implications for using one over the other?

Yes, immutable collections can have overhead due to copying, while thread-safe collections may introduce locking mechanisms that can affect performance in high contention scenarios.