# Interface NavigableMap<K,V>

All Superinterfaces:
  `Map<K,V>, SortedMap<K,V>`

All Known Implementing Classes:
  `TreeMap`

public interface NavigableMap<K,V> extends SortedMap<K,V>

NavigableMap is a SortedMap with navigation methods answering the closest matches for specified item.

Type parameter `K`: the type of key Type parameter `V`: the type of value

##### Since

1.6

- ## Nested Class Summary

  ### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from interface Map

  `Map.Entry<K,V>`

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `ceilingEntry(K key)`
  Answers an entry related with the smallest key greater than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `K`
  `ceilingKey(K key)`
  Answers the smallest key greater than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `NavigableSet<K>`
  `descendingKeySet()`
  Answers a NavigableSet view of the keys in descending order.
  `NavigableMap<K,V>`
  `descendingMap()`
  Answers a reverse order view of the map.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `firstEntry()`
  Answers the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `floorEntry(K key)`
  Answers an entry related with the biggest key less than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `K`
  `floorKey(K key)`
  Answers the biggest key less than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `NavigableMap<K,V>`
  `headMap(K endKey, boolean inclusive)`
  Answers a view of the head of the map whose keys are smaller than (or equal to, depends on inclusive argument) endKey.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `higherEntry(K key)`
  Answers an entry related with the smallest key greater than the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `K`
  `higherKey(K key)`
  Answers the smallest key greater than the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `lastEntry()`
  Answers the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `lowerEntry(K key)`
  Answers an entry related with the biggest key less than the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `K`
  `lowerKey(K key)`
  Answers the biggest key less than the specified key, or null if no such key.
  `NavigableSet<K>`
  `navigableKeySet()`
  Answers a NavigableSet view of the keys in ascending order.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `pollFirstEntry()`
  Deletes and answers the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty.
  `Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `pollLastEntry()`
  Deletes and answers the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty.
  `NavigableMap<K,V>`
  `subMap(K startKey, boolean startInclusive, K endKey, boolean endInclusive)`
  Answers a view of part of the map whose keys is from startKey to endKey.
  `NavigableMap<K,V>`
  `tailMap(K startKey, boolean inclusive)`
  Answers a view of the tail of the map whose keys are bigger than (or equal to, depends on inclusive argument) startKey.

  ### Methods inherited from interface Map

  `clear, containsKey, containsValue, entrySet, equals, get, hashCode, isEmpty, keySet, put, putAll, remove, size, values`

  ### Methods inherited from interface SortedMap

  `comparator, firstKey, headMap, lastKey, subMap, tailMap`

- ## Method Details

  - ### firstEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> firstEntry()

    Answers the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty.

    ###### Returns

    the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty

  - ### lastEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> lastEntry()

    Answers the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty.

    ###### Returns

    the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty

  - ### pollFirstEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> pollFirstEntry()

    Deletes and answers the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty.

    ###### Returns

    the entry with the smallest key, or null if the map is empty

  - ### pollLastEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> pollLastEntry()

    Deletes and answers the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty.

    ###### Returns

    the entry with the biggest key, or null if the map is empty

  - ### ceilingEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> ceilingEntry(K key)

    Answers an entry related with the smallest key greater than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the entry, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### ceilingKey

    K ceilingKey(K key)

    Answers the smallest key greater than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    Returns:

      the smallest key greater than or equal to key, or null if no such key

      ###### Throws

      - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

      - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### higherEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> higherEntry(K key)

    Answers an entry related with the smallest key greater than the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the entry, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### higherKey

    K higherKey(K key)

    Answers the smallest key greater than the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the smallest key greater than key, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### floorEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> floorEntry(K key)

    Answers an entry related with the biggest key less than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the entry, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### floorKey

    K floorKey(K key)

    Answers the biggest key less than or equal to the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the biggest key less than or equal to key, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### lowerEntry

    Map.Entry<K,V> lowerEntry(K key)

    Answers an entry related with the biggest key less than the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the entry, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### lowerKey

    K lowerKey(K key)

    Answers the biggest key less than the specified key, or null if no such key.

    ###### Parameters

    - `key`: the key

    ###### Returns

    the biggest key less than key, or null if no such key

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: if the key cannot be compared with the keys in the map

    - `NullPointerException`: if the key is null and the map can not contain null key

  - ### navigableKeySet

    NavigableSet<K> navigableKeySet()

    Answers a NavigableSet view of the keys in ascending order.

    ###### Returns

    the navigable set view

  - ### descendingMap

    NavigableMap<K,V> descendingMap()

    Answers a reverse order view of the map.

    ###### Returns

    the reverse order view of the map

  - ### descendingKeySet

    NavigableSet<K> descendingKeySet()

    Answers a NavigableSet view of the keys in descending order.

    ###### Returns

    the navigable set view

  - ### subMap

    NavigableMap<K,V> subMap(K startKey, boolean startInclusive, K endKey, boolean endInclusive)

    Answers a view of part of the map whose keys is from startKey to endKey.

    ###### Parameters

    - `startKey`: the start key

    - `startInclusive`: true if the start key is in the returned map

    - `endKey`: the end key

    - `endInclusive`: true if the end key is in the returned map

    ###### Returns

    the sub-map view

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: @exception ClassCastException when the class of the start or end key is inappropriate for this SubMap

    - `NullPointerException`: @exception NullPointerException when the start or end key is null and this SortedMap does not support null keys

    - `IllegalArgumentException`: when the start key is greater than the end key

  - ### headMap

    NavigableMap<K,V> headMap(K endKey, boolean inclusive)

    Answers a view of the head of the map whose keys are smaller than (or equal to, depends on inclusive argument) endKey.

    ###### Parameters

    - `endKey`: the end key

    - `inclusive`: true if the end key is in the returned map

    ###### Returns

    the head-map view

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: @exception ClassCastException when the class of the end key is inappropriate for this SubMap

    - `NullPointerException`: @exception NullPointerException when the end key is null and this SortedMap does not support null keys

    - `IllegalArgumentException`: @exception IllegalArgumentException when the map is range-limited and end key is out of the range of the map

  - ### tailMap

    NavigableMap<K,V> tailMap(K startKey, boolean inclusive)

    Answers a view of the tail of the map whose keys are bigger than (or equal to, depends on inclusive argument) startKey.

    ###### Parameters

    - `startKey`: the start key

    - `inclusive`: true if the start key is in the returned map

    ###### Returns

    the tail-map view

    ###### Throws

    - `ClassCastException`: @exception ClassCastException when the class of the start key is inappropriate for this SubMap

    - `NullPointerException`: @exception NullPointerException when the start key is null and this SortedMap does not support null keys

    - `IllegalArgumentException`: @exception IllegalArgumentException when the map is range-limited and start key is out of the range of the map