Java 8

What does Java 8 mean?

Java 8 is a major version of the Java platform Released in March 2014. It introduced significant enhancements to the Java language, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and the Java class libraries. Java 8 is known for its improved performance, enhanced concurrency support, and new language features such as lambda expressions and the Streams API.

Java 8’s lambda expressions provide a concise and flexible way to define anonymous functions. They allow Java developers to write code that is more Readable, reusable, and maintainable. The Streams API introduces a new way to process collections of data in a declarative and efficient manner. It provides a set of intermediate operations (such as filtering, mapping, and sorting) that can be chained together to perform complex data transformations.

Applications

Java 8 is widely used in various applications, including:

• Web development: Java 8 is used in popular web frameworks such as Spring Boot and Play Framework. Its asynchronous I/O support and lambda expressions make it suitable for developing high-performance web applications.
• Big data processing: Java 8’s Streams API is well-suited for processing large datasets. Its parallel processing capabilities and efficient memory management make it a popular choice for big data applications.
• Cloud computing: Java 8 is widely used in cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Its support for multithreading and concurrency makes it ideal for cloud-native applications.
• Mobile development: Java 8 is used in Android development through the Android Java Development Kit (JDK). It provides features like lambda expressions and functional interfaces to enhance code readability and maintainability in Android applications.

History

The development of Java 8 began in 2011. It was originally known as Java SE 8, where SE stands for Standard Edition. The project was led by Oracle, which acquired Sun Microsystems, the original creator of Java, in 2010.

Java 8 was released on March 18, 2014, after two years of development. It was a major release that introduced numerous new features and significant enhancements. Java 8 was followed by Java 9, released in 2017, and Java 10, released in 2018.

The long-term support (LTS) version of Java 8, known as Java 8 LTS, was released in September 2014. LTS versions of Java receive extended support from Oracle, including security updates and bug fixes. Java 8 LTS is scheduled to reach its end of support in December 2030.