Efficiency of Java “Double Brace Initialization”?

Question

In Hidden Features of Java the top answer mentions Double Brace Initialization, with a very enticing syntax:

Set flavors = new HashSet         


        

Answer 1

Loading many classes can add some milliseconds to the start. If the startup isn't so critical and you are look at the efficiency of classes after startup there is no difference.

package vanilla.java.perfeg.doublebracket;

import java.util.*;

/**
 * @author plawrey
 */
public class DoubleBracketMain {
    public static void main(String... args) {
        final List list1 = new ArrayList() {
            {
                add("Hello");
                add("World");
                add("!!!");
            }
        };
        List list2 = new ArrayList(list1);
        Set set1 = new LinkedHashSet() {
            {
                addAll(list1);
            }
        };
        Set set2 = new LinkedHashSet();
        set2.addAll(list1);
        Map map1 = new LinkedHashMap() {
            {
                put(1, "one");
                put(2, "two");
                put(3, "three");
            }
        };
        Map map2 = new LinkedHashMap();
        map2.putAll(map1);

        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
            long dbTimes = timeComparison(list1, list1)
                    + timeComparison(set1, set1)
                    + timeComparison(map1.keySet(), map1.keySet())
                    + timeComparison(map1.values(), map1.values());
            long times = timeComparison(list2, list2)
                    + timeComparison(set2, set2)
                    + timeComparison(map2.keySet(), map2.keySet())
                    + timeComparison(map2.values(), map2.values());
            if (i > 0)
                System.out.printf("double braced collections took %,d ns and plain collections took %,d ns%n", dbTimes, times);
        }
    }

    public static long timeComparison(Collection a, Collection b) {
        long start = System.nanoTime();
        int runs = 10000000;
        for (int i = 0; i < runs; i++)
            compareCollections(a, b);
        long rate = (System.nanoTime() - start) / runs;
        return rate;
    }

    public static void compareCollections(Collection a, Collection b) {
        if (!a.equals(b) && a.hashCode() != b.hashCode() && !a.toString().equals(b.toString()))
            throw new AssertionError();
    }
}

prints

double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 34 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns
double braced collections took 36 ns and plain collections took 36 ns