一、实现类

List接口一共有三个实现类，分别是ArrayList，Vector和LinkedList。List用于存放多个元素，能够维护元素的次序，并且允许元素的重复。三个具体实现类的相关区别如下：

1. ArrayList是最常用的List实现类，内部是通过数组实现的，它允许对元素进行快速随机访问。数组的缺点是每个元素之间不能有间隔，当数组大小不满足时需要增加存储能力，就要将已经有数组的数据复制到新的存储空间中。当从ArrayList的中间位置插入或者删除元素时，需要对数组进行复制、移动、代价比较高。因此，它适合随机查找和遍历，不适合插入和删除。
2. Vector与ArrayList一样，也是通过数组实现的，不同的是它支持线程的同步，即某一时刻只有一个线程能够写Vector，避免多线程同时写而引起的不一致性，但实现同步需要很高的花费，因此，访问它比访问ArrayList慢。
3. LinkedList是用链表结构存储数据的，很适合数据的动态插入和删除，随机访问和遍历速度比较慢。另外，他还提供了List接口中没有定义的方法，专门用于操作表头和表尾元素，可以当作堆栈、队列和双向队列使用。
4. 如果集合中的元素的数目大于目前集合数组的长度时，vector增长率为目前数组长度的100%,而arraylist增长率为目前数组长度的50%.如过在集合中使用数据量比较大的数据，用vector有一定的优势。

二、方法

size

返回list中元素的个数，如果元素个数多于Integer.MAX_VALUE，则返回Integer.MAX_VALUE.

    int size();

isEmpty

如果list中不包含任何元素，返回true

    boolean isEmpty();

contains

如果list中包含（至少一个）特定的元素，返回true。当o为null时查找list是否存储了null。否则寻找对象e使得o.equals(e)

     * @throws ClassCastException if the type of the specified element
     *         is incompatible with this list
     * (<a href="Collection.html#optional-restrictions">optional</a>)
     * @throws NullPointerException if the specified element is null and this
     *         list does not permit null elements
     * (<a href="Collection.html#optional-restrictions">optional</a>)
     */
    boolean contains(Object o);

toArray

返回一个包含list所有元素的数组，顺序和原list存储顺序一致。

     * <p>The returned array will be "safe" in that no references to it are
     * maintained by this list.  (In other words, this method must
     * allocate a new array even if this list is backed by an array).
     * The caller is thus free to modify the returned array.
    Object[] toArray();

add

/**
     * Appends the specified element to the end of this list (optional
     * operation).
     *
     * <p>Lists that support this operation may place limitations on what
     * elements may be added to this list.  In particular, some
     * lists will refuse to add null elements, and others will impose
     * restrictions on the type of elements that may be added.  List
     * classes should clearly specify in their documentation any restrictions
     * on what elements may be added.
     *
     * @param e element to be appended to this list
     * @return <tt>true</tt> (as specified by {@link Collection#add})
     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if the <tt>add</tt> operation
     *         is not supported by this list
     * @throws ClassCastException if the class of the specified element
     *         prevents it from being added to this list
     * @throws NullPointerException if the specified element is null and this
     *         list does not permit null elements
     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if some property of this element
     *         prevents it from being added to this list
     */
    boolean add(E e);

remove

/**
     * Removes the first occurrence of the specified element from this list,
     * if it is present (optional operation).  If this list does not contain
     * the element, it is unchanged.  More formally, removes the element with
     * the lowest index <tt>i</tt> such that
     * <tt>(o==null&nbsp;?&nbsp;get(i)==null&nbsp;:&nbsp;o.equals(get(i)))</tt>
     * (if such an element exists).  Returns <tt>true</tt> if this list
     * contained the specified element (or equivalently, if this list changed
     * as a result of the call).
     *
     * @param o element to be removed from this list, if present
     * @return <tt>true</tt> if this list contained the specified element
     * @throws ClassCastException if the type of the specified element
     *         is incompatible with this list
     * (<a href="Collection.html#optional-restrictions">optional</a>)
     * @throws NullPointerException if the specified element is null and this
     *         list does not permit null elements
     * (<a href="Collection.html#optional-restrictions">optional</a>)
     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if the <tt>remove</tt> operation
     *         is not supported by this list
     */
    boolean remove(Object o);

ListIterator

/**
     * Returns a list iterator over the elements in this list (in proper
     * sequence).
     *
     * @return a list iterator over the elements in this list (in proper
     *         sequence)
     */
    ListIterator<E> listIterator();

/**
     * Returns a list iterator over the elements in this list (in proper
     * sequence), starting at the specified position in the list.
     * The specified index indicates the first element that would be
     * returned by an initial call to {@link ListIterator#next next}.
     * An initial call to {@link ListIterator#previous previous} would
     * return the element with the specified index minus one.
     *
     * @param index index of the first element to be returned from the
     *        list iterator (by a call to {@link ListIterator#next next})
     * @return a list iterator over the elements in this list (in proper
     *         sequence), starting at the specified position in the list
     * @throws IndexOutOfBoundsException if the index is out of range
     *         ({@code index < 0 || index > size()})
     */
    ListIterator<E> listIterator(int index);