How to avoid java.util.ConcurrentModificationException when iterating through and removing elements from an ArrayList

Two options:

  • Create a list of values you wish to remove, adding to that list within the loop, then call originalList.removeAll(valuesToRemove) at the end
  • Use the remove() method on the iterator itself. Note that this means you can't use the enhanced for loop.

As an example of the second option, removing any strings with a length greater than 5 from a list:

List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
...
for (Iterator<String> iterator = list.iterator(); iterator.hasNext(); ) {
    String value = iterator.next();
    if (value.length() > 5) {
        iterator.remove();
    }
}

From the JavaDocs of the ArrayList

The iterators returned by this class's iterator and listIterator methods are fail-fast: if the list is structurally modified at any time after the iterator is created, in any way except through the iterator's own remove or add methods, the iterator will throw a ConcurrentModificationException.


You are trying to remove value from list in advanced "for loop", which is not possible, even if you apply any trick (which you did in your code). Better way is to code iterator level as other advised here.

I wonder how people have not suggested traditional for loop approach.

for( int i = 0; i < lStringList.size(); i++ )
{
    String lValue = lStringList.get( i );
    if(lValue.equals("_Not_Required"))
    {
         lStringList.remove(lValue);
         i--; 
    }  
}

This works as well.