[Term Entry] Java Queue: .peek()

* add: java queue .peek() method term entry

* minor tweaks

* Minor changes

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Author: Mohit5Upadhyay

content/java/concepts/queue/terms/peek/peek.md

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+---
+Title: '.peek()'
+Description: 'Returns the head element of the queue without removing it, or null if the queue is empty.'
+Subjects:
+  - 'Code Foundations'
+  - 'Computer Science'
+Tags:
+  - 'Algorithms'
+  - 'Collections'
+  - 'Data Structures'
+  - 'Methods'
+CatalogContent:
+  - 'learn-java'
+  - 'paths/computer-science'
+---
+
+In Java, the **`.peek()`** method retrieves the head element of a queue without removing it from the queue. If the queue has no elements, it returns `null` instead of throwing an exception. This makes it a safe way to check what element is next in line without modifying the queue structure.
+
+## Syntax
+
+```pseudo
+queueName.peek()
+```
+
+**Return value:**
+
+Retrieves the head of the queue without removing it. Returns `null` if the queue is empty.
+
+## Example 1: Basic Usage of `.peek()`
+
+This example demonstrates how `.peek()` is used to inspect the next element without removing it from the queue:
+
+```java
+import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+
+public class Main {
+  public static void main(String[] args) {
+    // Create a queue for customer service
+    Queue<String> customerQueue = new LinkedList<>();
+
+    // Add customers to the queue
+    customerQueue.offer("Alice");
+    customerQueue.offer("Bob");
+    customerQueue.offer("Charlie");
+
+    System.out.println("Queue: " + customerQueue);
+
+    // Peek at the next customer without removing them
+    String nextCustomer = customerQueue.peek();
+    System.out.println("Next customer to be served: " + nextCustomer);
+
+    // Queue remains unchanged after peek
+    System.out.println("Queue after peek: " + customerQueue);
+    System.out.println("Queue size: " + customerQueue.size());
+
+    // Serve the customer
+    String servedCustomer = customerQueue.poll();
+    System.out.println("Served customer: " + servedCustomer);
+    System.out.println("Updated queue: " + customerQueue);
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The output of this code is:
+
+```shell
+Queue: [Alice, Bob, Charlie]
+Next customer to be served: Alice
+Queue after peek: [Alice, Bob, Charlie]
+Queue size: 3
+Served customer: Alice
+Updated queue: [Bob, Charlie]
+```
+
+This example shows how `.peek()` provides read-only access to the head element, keeping the queue unchanged until an actual removal operation is performed.
+
+## Example 2: Handling Empty Queues with `.peek()`
+
+This example shows how `.peek()` safely handles empty queues by returning `null` instead of throwing exceptions:
+
+```java
+import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+
+public class EmptyQueueHandling {
+  public static void main(String[] args) {
+    Queue<String> messageQueue = new LinkedList<>();
+
+    // Peek at empty queue
+    String result = messageQueue.peek();
+    System.out.println("Peek on empty queue: " + result);
+    System.out.println("Queue is empty: " + messageQueue.isEmpty());
+
+    // Add some messages
+    messageQueue.offer("Welcome message");
+    messageQueue.offer("Alert notification");
+
+    // Peek at non-empty queue
+    String nextMessage = messageQueue.peek();
+    System.out.println("Next message: " + nextMessage);
+
+    // Process all messages while checking what's next
+    while (!messageQueue.isEmpty()) {
+      String current = messageQueue.peek();
+      System.out.println("About to process: " + current);
+
+      String processed = messageQueue.poll();
+      System.out.println("Processed: " + processed);
+
+      // Check if there are more messages
+      String upcoming = messageQueue.peek();
+      if (upcoming != null) {
+        System.out.println("Next up: " + upcoming);
+      } else {
+        System.out.println("No more messages in queue");
+      }
+      System.out.println("---");
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The output of this code is:
+
+```shell
+Peek on empty queue: null
+Queue is empty: true
+Next message: Welcome message
+About to process: Welcome message
+Processed: Welcome message
+Next up: Alert notification
+---
+About to process: Alert notification
+Processed: Alert notification
+No more messages in queue
+---
+```
+
+This example demonstrates the safety of `.peek()` when dealing with potentially empty queues, making it ideal for defensive programming practices.