Thread: Which java data structure is best to use for my problem

As a new java programmer, I'm a little confused by all the types of Lists available in the Java toolset and need some advice regarding which one might be best for my problem.

I want to create a collection of complex objects and then be able identify objects in the collection by matching on values of the properties of the objects in the collection. For example, if my objects in the collection are Cars, they might have as properties Car #, color, license plate # and registration status. One example operation I want to perform is to set the registration status to "registered" for the Car in the List where the license plate # is 5547A.

Thanks for your help identifying the best data structure for this type problem.