What are alternatives to sequenced collections and how do they compare?

In Java, while sequenced collections like ArrayList and LinkedList are commonly used, there are several alternatives for managing data that may offer different performance characteristics and functionalities. These alternatives include:

• Sets: Implementations like HashSet, LinkedHashSet, and TreeSet prioritize uniqueness and can perform better for specific operations like membership testing.
• Maps: Classes like HashMap, LinkedHashMap, and TreeMap provide key-value pair storage, allowing for efficient retrieval based on keys rather than indexes.
• Queues: Implementations such as PriorityQueue and ArrayDeque focus on element processing order, often used in scenarios like task scheduling.
• Stacks: Although the Stack class is part of the Java Collections Framework, you can also use Deque to implement stack behavior efficiently.
• Arrays: Lower-level data structures that provide fast access but lack built-in dynamic resizing compared to collections.

Each of these alternative collections has its strengths and weaknesses when compared to sequenced collections depending on usage scenarios such as speed, memory efficiency, and order preservation.