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New Java 8 Features: Which will be the easiest useful feature?

 
Greenhorn
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Hi Richard,

Java 8 has a lot of new features that I don't know anything about, like Lambda expressions or functional programming. The latter of these two sound like Oracle has made Java non-OO if one wishes to code non-OO in Java. Is that a correct assessment?

My primary question is about what is in Java 8 for someone unfamiliar with the complex new things being added. What will I find most useful for basic "Model" programming, processing data on the back end that won't require a big learning curve just to understand them, let alone use them well?

I read your reply to another post related to what is happening to Java. I have been wondering since Java 5 if the JCP is essentially trying to make Java Java+every feature I ever liked in another language? Thanks.

Duncan


 
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What will I find most useful for basic "Model" programming, processing data on the back end that won't require a big learning curve just to understand them, let alone use them well?


You might want to look at the new Date API introduced in Java 8 http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/datetime/index.html.
 
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Duncan,

The addition of new features to Java 8 does not encourage using non-OO techniques. For example, lambda expressions complement OO programming. They are based on anonymous inner classes.

Most of the new Java 8 features are tied to lambda expressions one way or another. Pai’s recommendation is a good one since the Date API is not as dependent on lambda expressions.

With regards to Java enhancements since Java 1.5, I don’t believe they are adding features just to add features. They are driven by Java community recommendations and other language developments. Of course developments like LINQ impact Java’s direction.

 
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Most enhancements have been driven by community pressure.
The use of a λ where one would have used an anonymous class of an interface with one method is interesting. The MyApp$1.class files are no longer to be seen. Not only do you save something like 7 lines of code, but you also save a file, since the anonymous object is no longer necessary.
 
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