Stream API in Java: Enhancements and Use Cases

Working with collections in Java used to involve a lot of loops and verbose code. That changed significantly with the introduction of the Stream API in Java 8. It introduced a functional approach to data processing, resulting in cleaner, more concise, and easier-to-read code.

This blog walks through the basics of the Stream API and dives into some of the newer enhancements introduced in Java 9 and beyond. Along the way, real-life examples help make the concepts more practical and relatable.

What is the Stream API All About?

Think of a stream as a pipeline of data. It does not store data, but rather processes elements from a source, such as a list or array. Operations are chained in a fluent style, making complex data handling tasks much more straightforward.

Creating Streams

Streams can be created from many different sources:

List names = List.of("Alice", "Bob", "Charlie");

Stream nameStream = names ...