Java remove()

Java’s Queue interface’s .remove() method removes and returns the element at the head (front) of the queue. If the queue is empty, it throws a NoSuchElementException.

Syntax of Java .remove()

queue.remove()

Parameters:

The .remove() method does not take any parameters.

Return value:

Returns the element removed from the head of the queue.

Exception:

Throws NoSuchElementException exception if the queue is empty.

Note: Don’t confuse .remove() with remove(Object o), which is inherited from Collection and removes the first matching element from the queue if it exists.

Example: Removing the Head Element Using Java Queue .remove()

The example here uses a LinkedList implementation to demonstrate .remove() returning and deleting the head element:

import java.util.Queue;
import java.util.LinkedList;

public class RemoveExample {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Queue<String> queue = new LinkedList<>();
    queue.offer("Alice");
    queue.offer("Bob");
    queue.offer("Charlie");

    System.out.println("Queue before remove: " + queue);

    String head = queue.remove(); // removes and returns "Alice"
    System.out.println("Removed head: " + head);
    System.out.println("Queue after remove: " + queue);
  }
}

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This results in the following output:

Queue before remove: [Alice, Bob, Charlie]
Removed head: Alice
Queue after remove: [Bob, Charlie]

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