Java 8 introduced several groundbreaking features that revolutionized modern development. Here's a quick overview of the most impactful ones:

1. Lambda Expressions 📌

Simplify functional interfaces with concise syntax.
Example: 

list.forEach(item -> System.out.println(item));
lambda_expression

2. Stream API 🧾

Process collections with declarative operations.

  • filter() for data filtering
  • map() for transformation
  • reduce() for aggregation
stream_api

3. Optional Class 🛑

Avoid null checks by using Optional<T>. 

Optional<String> value = Optional.ofNullable(fetchData());
optional_class

4. Default Methods in Interfaces 🔄

Add backward compatibility to interfaces. 

interface MyInterface {
    default void myMethod() { /* implementation */ }
}

5. Date & Time API ⏳

Replace outdated Date classes with java.time.

  • LocalDate, LocalTime, LocalDateTime
  • ZonedDateTime for timezone-aware operations

For deeper exploration, check our Java 8 tutorial or Stream API guide.

java8_features