Java tutorial
The java.util.NavigableMap interface,a new addition to Java 6,inherits SortedMap to add navigation methods that allows for key/value pair searching. The java.util.TreeMap class in Java 6 implements NavigableMap. import java.util.NavigableMap; import java.util.TreeMap; import java.util.Map.Entry; public class NavigableMapDemo { public static void main(String[] args) { NavigableMap<Integer, String> map = new TreeMap<Integer, String>(); map.put(2, "two"); map.put(1, "one"); map.put(3, "three"); System.out.println("Original map: " + map + "\n"); Entry firstEntry = map.pollFirstEntry(); System.out.println("First entry: " + firstEntry); System.out.println("After polling the first entry: " + map + "\n"); Entry lastEntry = map.pollLastEntry(); System.out.println("Last entry:" + lastEntry); System.out.println("After polling last entry:" + map); } } /*Original map: {1=one, 2=two, 3=three} First entry: 1=one After polling the first entry: {2=two, 3=three} Last entry:3=three After polling last entry:{2=two} */