Last Updated: June 6, 2026
ArrayList is the default List implementation in Java, and the most common choice. Internally it's a regular Java array that knows how to grow when it runs out of room, which is what gives it fast indexed access and amortized-cheap appends. This lesson covers how the backing array works, what every common operation actually costs, how capacity differs from size, and the one iteration pitfall that bites almost every Java beginner: ConcurrentModificationException.