Question: If I have an object implementing the `Map` interface in Java and I wish to iterate over every pair contained within it, what is the most efficient way of going through the map?

Will the ordering of elements depend on the specific map implementation that I have for the interface?

Answer: 
The ordering will always depend on the specific map implementation.
Using Java 8 you can use either of these:

```
map.forEach((k,v) -> { System.out.println(k + ":" + v); });

```

Or:

```
map.entrySet().forEach((e) -> {
            System.out.println(e.getKey() + " : " + e.getValue());
        });

```

The result will be the same (same order). The entrySet backed by the map so you are getting the same order. The second one is handy as it allows you to use lambdas, e.g. if you want only to print only Integer objects that are greater than 5:

```
map.entrySet()
    .stream()
    .filter(e-> e.getValue() > 5)
    .forEach(System.out::println);

```

The code below shows iteration through LinkedHashMap and normal HashMap (example). You will see difference in the order:

```
public class HMIteration {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Map<Object, Object> linkedHashMap = new LinkedHashMap<>();
        Map<Object, Object> hashMap = new HashMap<>();

        for (int i=10; i>=0; i--) {
            linkedHashMap.put(i, i);
            hashMap.put(i, i);
        }

        System.out.println("LinkedHashMap (1): ");
        linkedHashMap.forEach((k,v) -> { System.out.print(k + " (#="+k.hashCode() + "):" + v + ", "); });

        System.out.println("\nLinkedHashMap (2): ");

        linkedHashMap.entrySet().forEach((e) -> {
            System.out.print(e.getKey() + " : " + e.getValue() + ", ");
        });

        System.out.println("\n\nHashMap (1): ");
        hashMap.forEach((k,v) -> { System.out.print(k + " (#:"+k.hashCode() + "):" + v + ", "); });

        System.out.println("\nHashMap (2): ");

        hashMap.entrySet().forEach((e) -> {
            System.out.print(e.getKey() + " : " + e.getValue() + ", ");
        });
    }
}

```

Output:

```
LinkedHashMap (1):
10 (#=10):10, 9 (#=9):9, 8 (#=8):8, 7 (#=7):7, 6 (#=6):6, 5 (#=5):5, 4 (#=4):4, 3 (#=3):3, 2 (#=2):2, 1 (#=1):1, 0 (#=0):0,
LinkedHashMap (2):
10 : 10, 9 : 9, 8 : 8, 7 : 7, 6 : 6, 5 : 5, 4 : 4, 3 : 3, 2 : 2, 1 : 1, 0 : 0,
HashMap (1):
0 (#:0):0, 1 (#:1):1, 2 (#:2):2, 3 (#:3):3, 4 (#:4):4, 5 (#:5):5, 6 (#:6):6, 7 (#:7):7, 8 (#:8):8, 9 (#:9):9, 10 (#:10):10,
HashMap (2):
0 : 0, 1 : 1, 2 : 2, 3 : 3, 4 : 4, 5 : 5, 6 : 6, 7 : 7, 8 : 8, 9 : 9, 10 : 10,

```
If you want to iterate through the map in the order that the elements were added, use `LinkedHashMap` as opposed to just `Map`.

This approach has worked for me in the past:

```
LinkedHashMap<String,Integer> test=new LinkedHashMap();

test.put("foo",69);
test.put("bar",1337);

for(int i=0;i<test.size();i++){
    System.out.println(test.get(test.keySet().toArray()[i]));
}

```

Output:

```
69
1337

```