java - While loop takes too much time -

this select statement returns 4k+ rows. takes time in application while-loop. loop alone takes 2 4 minutes. ideas on how optimize it?

don't worry query doesn't take time on query response.

arraylist<membershipmemberinterestsvo> list = new arraylist<membershipmemberinterestsvo>(); stringbuffer sql = new stringbuffer();             sql.append("select to_char(mai.id_info) id, ");             sql.append("to_char(mai.field_title) title, ");             sql.append("to_char(mmi.member_id) membership_id ");             sql.append("from memserv_member_interests mmi, memserv_add_info mai ");             sql.append("where mmi.interests '%-' || mai.memserv_id || '-%' ");             sql.append("and mai.soc_body_id = ? ");             sql.append("union ");             sql.append("select to_char(mit.interest_id) id, ");             sql.append("to_char(mit.text) title, ");             sql.append("to_char(mit.member_id) membership_id ");             sql.append("from memserv_member_interest_text mit ");             sql.append("where society_id = ?");              pstmt = conn.preparestatement(sql.tostring());             pstmt.setstring(1, societyid);             pstmt.setstring(2, societyid);              rs = pstmt.executequery();              membershipmemberinterestsvo vo = null;             while (rs.next()) {                 vo = new membershipmemberinterestsvo();                 vo.setinterestid(rs.getstring("id"));                 vo.setmembershipid(rs.getstring("membership_id"));                 vo.settitle(rs.getstring("title"));                 vo.setsocietyid(societyid);                 list.add(vo);             } 

the problem sql statement. adding 4,000 entries list, doesn't take noticeable amount of time.

if not typo

where mmi.interests '%-' || mai.memserv_id || '-%' 

you end whole table result set.