How to Remove Duplicates From Array using Java

Problem: How to remove duplicate elements from the array

Solution:

Contents:
1: Create a file & Declare a Class
2: Declare the main method
3: Declare Variables
4: Taking inputs
5: Passing input to the second method
6: Declare the second method which contains our logic
7: actual logic for removing duplicates from an array
8: Returning a pure array
9: Display the Output

Note: I am following the java naming conventions in this solution.
It is not forced to follow, but it is a good habit as a programmer.
And it will make your program readable for other programmers.

1. Create a file & Declare a Class

Create a file EliminateDuplicatesFromArray.java
Open a file and declare class

import java.util.Scanner;

class EliminateDuplicatesFromArray{

}

According to java conventions, Filename and class name must be the same which makes it easier to maintain and organize your programs.
We are importing the Scanner class to take inputs

2 : Declare the main method

public static void main(String as[]){

}

This is the starter method of any java program

3 : Declare Variables in main method

Now declare necessary variables that will require in the program.

• Two Arrays one for input and another for output

int[] list,pureList;

• Size of Array

int len;

• object of Scanner class

Scanner s=new Scanner(System.in);

It will require if we use Dynamic Initialization

4 : Taking inputs

Two ways to take input/initializing array

• Static Initialization

list={10,20,30,30,30,30,40,50,10,40,10,50,10,0,0,0,10,70,80,10,90,10,90,90,90};

• Dynamic Initialization For this, we need to take input from the user. So we need an Object of Scanner class to get input as declared in step 3.

System.out.println("Enter Size of array");
int len=s.nextInt();

list=new int[len]; // instantiation         
for(int i=0;i<list.length;i++)
{
    System.out.print("Enter "+i+" element :=> ");
    list[i]=s.nextInt();  // initialization

}

5 : Passing input to the second method

pureList=removeDuplicates(list);

passing list as input to the method removeDuplicates and it will return to pureList.

6 : Declare the second method

Creating the second method

public static int[] eliminateDuplicates(int[] list){


}

why static ? because we're calling it from the main method.

7 : Actual logic for removing duplicates from an array

• Declare Variables in eliminateDuplicates method

int key,newSize;
int[] pureList;

the key variable is for selecting each element of the list as key and comparing key
with each element of the list
pureList is for storing pure Array
newSize is the length of pureList Array

7.1 : Initialize inputs

newSize=list.length;

the list variable will contain passed impure array
Currently, newSize will contain length of input array(impure Array)
newSize will be decreased as the element is removed.

7.2 : Process the Array [Actual Logic]

for(int i=0;i<newSize-1;i++)//for select each element as key
{   
    key=list[i];//store first element as Key
    for(int j=i+1;j<newSize;j++){/* Start Comparing with Next Element 
                                      otherwise key element will be removed */
        if(key==list[j])
        {   
                newSize=newSize-1; /* Decreasing Length to Skip the Last 
                                              element which already shifted up 
                                             after below loop */
            for(int k=j;k<newSize;k++)//Shift Up Array to remove Duplicate      {
                list[k]=list[k+1];  //remove duplicate 
            }
            j--; //for skipped element after deletion           
        }
    }
}

• 1st For loop Selecting Each element of the array Assigning to Key variable
• 2nd For loop Selecting Each element of the array after the key element
• If Statement Comparing key with each element of array excluding key If match found then decrement newSize variable because in 3rd loop we are deleting one element from the array
• 3rd For loop removing an element from the array by shifting up the next element

Now decrement 2nd loop counter j by one because after deletion of element next element's index will become deleted element's index.
So the next element will not be skipped for comparison.

8 : Returning a pure array

After this list has no duplicates values but it contains dummy values
So Copy list with newSize length to pureList array.

pureList=new int[newSize]; //Instantiate pureList Array with newSize

for(int p=0;p<newSize;p++)
{
    pureList[p]=list[p];
}
return pureList;

9 : Display the Output

for(int x: pureList)//for each loop for display output
{
    System.out.println(x);
}

Source Code

Download the Source Code from here

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And also, if you ever have any problems, questions or suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below.

Thank you.