How to iterate through SparseArray?

Is there a way to iterate over Java SparseArray (for Android) ? I used sparsearray to easily get values by index. I could not find one.


Seems I found the solution. I hadn't properly noticed the keyAt(index) function.

So I'll go with something like this:

for(int i = 0; i < sparseArray.size(); i++) {
   int key = sparseArray.keyAt(i);
   // get the object by the key.
   Object obj = sparseArray.get(key);
}

If you don't care about the keys, then valueAt(int) can be used to while iterating through the sparse array to access the values directly.

for(int i = 0, nsize = sparseArray.size(); i < nsize; i++) {
    Object obj = sparseArray.valueAt(i);
}

Ooor you just create your own ListIterator:

public final class SparseArrayIterator<E> implements ListIterator<E> {

private final SparseArray<E> array;
private int cursor;
private boolean cursorNowhere;

/**
 * @param array
 *            to iterate over.
 * @return A ListIterator on the elements of the SparseArray. The elements
 *         are iterated in the same order as they occur in the SparseArray.
 *         {@link #nextIndex()} and {@link #previousIndex()} return a
 *         SparseArray key, not an index! To get the index, call
 *         {@link android.util.SparseArray#indexOfKey(int)}.
 */
public static <E> ListIterator<E> iterate(SparseArray<E> array) {
    return iterateAt(array, -1);
}

/**
 * @param array
 *            to iterate over.
 * @param key
 *            to start the iteration at. {@link android.util.SparseArray#indexOfKey(int)}
 *            < 0 results in the same call as {@link #iterate(android.util.SparseArray)}.
 * @return A ListIterator on the elements of the SparseArray. The elements
 *         are iterated in the same order as they occur in the SparseArray.
 *         {@link #nextIndex()} and {@link #previousIndex()} return a
 *         SparseArray key, not an index! To get the index, call
 *         {@link android.util.SparseArray#indexOfKey(int)}.
 */
public static <E> ListIterator<E> iterateAtKey(SparseArray<E> array, int key) {
    return iterateAt(array, array.indexOfKey(key));
}

/**
 * @param array
 *            to iterate over.
 * @param location
 *            to start the iteration at. Value < 0 results in the same call
 *            as {@link #iterate(android.util.SparseArray)}. Value >
 *            {@link android.util.SparseArray#size()} set to that size.
 * @return A ListIterator on the elements of the SparseArray. The elements
 *         are iterated in the same order as they occur in the SparseArray.
 *         {@link #nextIndex()} and {@link #previousIndex()} return a
 *         SparseArray key, not an index! To get the index, call
 *         {@link android.util.SparseArray#indexOfKey(int)}.
 */
public static <E> ListIterator<E> iterateAt(SparseArray<E> array, int location) {
    return new SparseArrayIterator<E>(array, location);
}

private SparseArrayIterator(SparseArray<E> array, int location) {
    this.array = array;
    if (location < 0) {
        cursor = -1;
        cursorNowhere = true;
    } else if (location < array.size()) {
        cursor = location;
        cursorNowhere = false;
    } else {
        cursor = array.size() - 1;
        cursorNowhere = true;
    }
}

@Override
public boolean hasNext() {
    return cursor < array.size() - 1;
}

@Override
public boolean hasPrevious() {
    return cursorNowhere && cursor >= 0 || cursor > 0;
}

@Override
public int nextIndex() {
    if (hasNext()) {
        return array.keyAt(cursor + 1);
    } else {
        throw new NoSuchElementException();
    }
}

@Override
public int previousIndex() {
    if (hasPrevious()) {
        if (cursorNowhere) {
            return array.keyAt(cursor);
        } else {
            return array.keyAt(cursor - 1);
        }
    } else {
        throw new NoSuchElementException();
    }
}

@Override
public E next() {
    if (hasNext()) {
        if (cursorNowhere) {
            cursorNowhere = false;
        }
        cursor++;
        return array.valueAt(cursor);
    } else {
        throw new NoSuchElementException();
    }
}

@Override
public E previous() {
    if (hasPrevious()) {
        if (cursorNowhere) {
            cursorNowhere = false;
        } else {
            cursor--;
        }
        return array.valueAt(cursor);
    } else {
        throw new NoSuchElementException();
    }
}

@Override
public void add(E object) {
    throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
}

@Override
public void remove() {
    if (!cursorNowhere) {
        array.remove(array.keyAt(cursor));
        cursorNowhere = true;
        cursor--;
    } else {
        throw new IllegalStateException();
    }
}

@Override
public void set(E object) {
    if (!cursorNowhere) {
        array.setValueAt(cursor, object);
    } else {
        throw new IllegalStateException();
    }
}
}

For whoever is using Kotlin, honestly the by far easiest way to iterate over a SparseArray is: Use the Kotlin extension from Anko or Android KTX! (credit to Yazazzello for pointing out Android KTX)

Simply call forEach { i, item -> }