What are the differences between a HashMap and a Hashtable in Java?

Question

What are the differences between a HashMap and a Hashtable in Java?

Which is more efficient for non-threaded applications?

Answer 1

Beside all the other important aspects already mentioned here, Collections API (e.g. Map interface) is being modified all the time to conform to the "latest and greatest" additions to Java spec.

For example, compare Java 5 Map iterating:

for (Elem elem : map.keys()) {
  elem.doSth();
}

versus the old Hashtable approach:

for (Enumeration en = htable.keys(); en.hasMoreElements(); ) {
  Elem elem = (Elem) en.nextElement();
  elem.doSth();
}

In Java 1.8 we are also promised to be able to construct and access HashMaps like in good old scripting languages:

Map map = { "orange" : 12, "apples" : 15 };
map["apples"];

Update: No, they won't land in 1.8... :(

Are Project Coin's collection enhancements going to be in JDK8?