[Java8] Lambda Expression

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In computer programming, an anonymous function (function literal, lambda abstraction, or lambda expression) is a function definition that is not bound to an identifier. Anonymous functions are often arguments being passed to higher-order functions, or used for constructing the result of a higher-order function that needs to return a function.[1] If the function is only used once, or a limited number of times, an anonymous function may be syntactically lighter than using a named function. Anonymous functions are ubiquitous in functional programming languages and other languages with first-class functions, where they fulfill the same role for the function type as literals do for other data types.

What's a lambda expression in Java world?
A lambda expression is an unnamed block of code with a list of formal parameters and a body, or named an anonymous function.
It can be easily imagined with 3 parts: arguments list, arrow token and body. Let's see more examples.

() -> {}                // No parameters; result is void
() -> 42                // No parameters, expression body
() -> null              // No parameters, expression body
() -> { return 42; }    // No parameters, block body with return
() -> { System.gc(); }  // No parameters, void block body
() -> {                 // Complex block body with returns
  if (true) return 12;
  else {
    int result = 15;
    for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++)
      result *= i;
    return result;
} }
(int x) -> x+1              // Single declared-type parameter
(int x) -> { return x+1; }  // Single declared-type parameter
(x) -> x+1
x -> x+1
(String s) -> s.length()
(Thread t) -> { t.start(); }  // Single declared-type parameter
s -> s.length()               // Single inferred-type parameter
t -> { t.start(); }           // Single inferred-type parameter

(int x, int y) -> x+y  // Multiple declared-type parameters
(x, y) -> x+y          // Multiple inferred-type parameters
(x, int y) -> x+y    // Illegal: can't mix inferred and declared types
(x, final y) -> x+y  // Illegal: no modifiers with inferred types

Basically, we should use inferred-type parameters and simple statement as body while writing code.