What is put in Java HashMap?

The put function is used to insert a new key-value pair into a HashMap. We insert a key and its corresponding value into the map.

If the key already exists, its old value is replaced with a new one.

Parameters

java.util.HashMap.put(K key, V value)

In the above snippet of code, key is the key stored on the map, and this key recognizes the entity in the map. Value is the value that will be stored that corresponds to the key.

The data types of K and V are determined while the HashMap is being declared.

Return value

If a new pair is added to the HashMap, the put function returns NULL.

If the key is already present in the HashMap, its value gets updated, and the put function returns the previous value.

Example

import java.util.*;
class HelloWorld {
    public static void main( String args[] ) {
        // making a hashmap with keys as integers and strings as corresponding values
         HashMap<Integer, String> hash_map = new HashMap<Integer, String>();
 
        hash_map.put(10, "Ten");
        hash_map.put(20, "Twenty");
        hash_map.put(30, "Thirty");
 
        // displaying the HashMap
        System.out.println("Hash Map: " + hash_map);
 
        // using the put function with an existing key
        String returned_value = (String)hash_map.put(20, "Forty");
        // displaying the value returned by using existing key with put function
        System.out.println("Value Returned by Using put function with existing key: " + returned_value);
 
        // displaying the HashMap
        System.out.println("Hash Map: " + hash_map);
        
    }
}