You cannot create Arrays of Generic classes of interfaces in Java so arrays and generics do not go hand in hand making it impossible to create Generic Array for the one basic reason that arrays are covariant while generics are invariant. As it is a dynamic data structure, the elements can be added and removed from the list. ArrayList, on the other hand, can resize itself and the arrays can grow as they needed. Arrays in Java work differently than they function in C/C++. It contains sequential collection of elements of the same data type.
In technical terms, the length of Array cannot be changed or modified once the Array object is created. One of the major and noticeable differences between the two data structures is that Array is static in nature which means it is a fixed length data type while ArrayList is dynamic in nature which means it’s a variable length data structure. This article compares the two on various aspects so that you can choose one over the other.
The major difference between the two is that Array is static whereas ArrayList is dynamic in nature. While both are used to store elements in Java, which can be either primitives or objects, they have their fair share of differences in terms of functionality and performance. It’s quite the basic step to begin with, especially the beginners who’ve just started coding. Conceptually speaking, ArrayList is internally backed by arrays, however, understanding the difference between the two is the key to becoming a great Java developer. Both Array and ArrayList are index-based data structures that are often used in Java programs.