Java Collections - PriorityQueue.element() Examples

[Last Updated: Dec 11, 2025]

Class:

java.util.PriorityQueue

Method:

public E element()

Retrieves, but does not remove, the head of this queue. This method differs from PriorityQueue#peek() only in that it throws an exception if this queue is empty.

Examples

package com.logicbig.example.priorityqueue;

import java.util.PriorityQueue;

public class ElementExample {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        PriorityQueue<String> pq = new PriorityQueue<>();
        pq.add("c");
        pq.add("a");
        pq.add("b");
        System.out.println(pq);
        String element = pq.element();
        System.out.println(element);
        element = pq.element();
        System.out.println(element);
    }
}

Output

[a, c, b]
a
a

JDK 25

package com.logicbig.example.priorityqueue;

import java.util.PriorityQueue;

public class ElementExample2 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        PriorityQueue<String> pq = new PriorityQueue<>();
        pq.element();
    }
}

Output

java.util.NoSuchElementException
    at java.util.AbstractQueue.element (AbstractQueue.java:136)
    at com.logicbig.example.priorityqueue.ElementExample2.main (ElementExample2.java:14)
    at jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke (DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:104)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke (Method.java:565)
    at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.AbstractExecJavaBase.executeMainMethod (AbstractExecJavaBase.java:402)
    at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.ExecJavaMojo.executeMainMethod (ExecJavaMojo.java:142)
    at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.AbstractExecJavaBase.doExecClassLoader (AbstractExecJavaBase.java:377)
    at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.AbstractExecJavaBase.lambda$execute$0 (AbstractExecJavaBase.java:287)
    at java.lang.Thread.run (Thread.java:1474)

JDK 25

Java Collections - PriorityQueue.element() Examples

Class:

Method:

Examples

Output

Output

See Also