Before understanding Lambda expressions, Lets first understand
Functional Interface.
What is Functional Interface?
Functional interfaces are those interfaces that have only one abstract method in it. It can have more than one default or static method and can override the method from java.lang.object. Let’s create a functional interface:
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@FunctionalInterface public interface Decorable { // one abstract method void decorateWithCurtains(); // default method default void decorateWithPaints() { System.out.println("Decorating using paints"); } // Overriding method of java.lang.Object @Override public int hashCode(); } |
Java can itself identify Functional Interface but you can also denote interface as Functional Interface by annotating it with @FunctionalInterface.
Some popular Functional Interfaces are:
- java.lang.Runnable
- java.util.concurrent.Callable
- java.awt.event.ActionListener
- java.util.Comparator
Why Lambda Expressions?
Lets understand with help of Anonymous Comparator:
Let’s say you need to sort list of movies by movie name.
Movie.java
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package org.arpit.java2blog; public class Movie { String movieName; long duration; public Movie(String movieName, long duration) { super(); this.movieName = movieName; this.duration = duration; } // getters and setters } |
Code to sort list of movies by name using comparator
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Movie m1=new Movie("Inception",110); Movie m2=new Movie("GodFather",200); Movie m3=new Movie("Forest Gump",130); Movie m4=new Movie("Avengers",150); List<Movie> listOfMovies = new ArrayList<>(); listOfMovies.add(m1); listOfMovies.add(m2); listOfMovies.add(m3); listOfMovies.add(m4); System.out.println("Before Sort by name : "); for (int i = 0; i < listOfMovies.size(); i++) { Movie movie = (Movie) listOfMovies.get(i); System.out.println(movie); } // Sort by movieName // Anonymous Comparator // old way Collections.sort(listOfMovies, new Comparator<Movie>() { @Override public int compare(Movie o1, Movie o2) { return o1.getMovieName().compareTo(o2.getMovieName()); } }); |
The problem with Anonymous Comparator is of syntax. Each time you want to sort the list using a comparator, you have to remember the bulky syntax.
So generally the main problem with
Anonymous classes is syntax. For very simple operation, we need to write complex code. To solve this problem, JDK has introduced a new feature called Lambda Expressions. I will take this example after explaining lambda expression to understand, how
lambda expression will reduce this complex code.
What is Lambda Expressions:
lambda expression represents an anonymous function. It comprises of a set of parameters, a lambda operator (->) and a function body . You can call it
function without name,
The connection between Lambda Expression and Functional Interface:
You might be thinking I have introduced the functional Interface above but how it is connected to Lambda. So Lambda expression can be applied for the abstract method of functional Interface which is being implemented or being instantiated anonymously.
Structure of Lambda Expressions
(Argument List) ->{expression;} or
(Argument List) ->{statements;}
(Argument List) ->{statements;}
So we can divide structure of Lambda expression to three parts:
- Argument list or parameters
- Lambda expression can have zero or more arguments.
()->{System.out.println(“Hello”)}; //Without argument, will print hello
(int a)->{System.out.println(a)}; // One argument, will print value of a
(int a,int b)-> {a+b};//two argument, will return sum of these two integers - You can choose to not declare the type of arguments as it can be inferred from context.
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(a,b)->{a+b}; // two argument, will return sum of these two numbers
- you can not declare one argument’s type and do not declare type for other argument.
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(int a,b)->{a+b}; // Compilation error
- When there is a single parameter, if its type is inferred, it is not mandatory to use parentheses
a->{System.out.println(a)}; // Will print value of number a
- Lambda expression can have zero or more arguments.
- Array token (->)
- Body
- Body can have expression or statements.
- If there is only one statement in body,curly brace is not needed and return type of the anonymous function is same as of body expression
- If there are more than one statements, then it should be in curly braces and return type of anonymous function is same as value return from code block, void if nothing is returned.
Let’s take some examples , you want to initialize thread and now you will realize, how can lambda expression make your coding easy :
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public class ThreadSample { public static void main(String[] args) { // old way new Thread(new Runnable() { @Override public void run() { System.out.println("Thread is started"); } }).start(); // using lambda Expression new Thread(()->System.out.println("Thread is started")).start(); } } |
Let’s take another example of Comparator which we have seen in Anonymous Comparator in java. We will create list of movies and sort it by movie name using trivial way and lambda expressions.
Create a class called
Movie.java
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package org.arpit.java2blog; public class Movie { String movieName; long duration; public Movie(String movieName, long duration) { super(); this.movieName = movieName; this.duration = duration; } public String getMovieName() { return movieName; } public void setMovieName(String movieName) { this.movieName = movieName; } public long getDuration() { return duration; } public void setDuration(long duration) { this.duration = duration; } @Override public String toString() { return "Movie Name: " + this.getMovieName() + "|| " + "Movie duration: " + this.getDuration(); } } |
Create a main class called ComparatorMain.java
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package org.arpit.java2blog; import java.util.ArrayList; import java.util.Collections; import java.util.Comparator; import java.util.List; public class ComparatorLambdaMain { /** * @author Arpit Mandliya */ public static void main(String[] args) { Movie m1=new Movie("Inception",110); Movie m2=new Movie("GodFather",200); Movie m3=new Movie("Forest Gump",130); Movie m4=new Movie("Avengers",150); List<Movie> listOfMovies = new ArrayList<>(); listOfMovies.add(m1); listOfMovies.add(m2); listOfMovies.add(m3); listOfMovies.add(m4); System.out.println("Before Sort by name : "); for (int i = 0; i < listOfMovies.size(); i++) { Movie movie = (Movie) listOfMovies.get(i); System.out.println(movie); } // Sort by movieName // Anonymous Comparator // old way Collections.sort(listOfMovies, new Comparator<Movie>() { @Override public int compare(Movie o1, Movie o2) { return o1.getMovieName().compareTo(o2.getMovieName()); } }); // Using lambda expression Collections.sort(listOfMovies, (o1, o2) -> o1.getMovieName().compareTo(o2.getMovieName())); System.out.println("After Sort by name: "); for (int i = 0; i < listOfMovies.size(); i++) { Movie movie = (Movie) listOfMovies.get(i); System.out.println(movie); } } } |
Output:
Before Sort by name :
Movie Name: Inception|| Movie duration: 110
Movie Name: GodFather|| Movie duration: 200
Movie Name: Forest Gump|| Movie duration: 130
Movie Name: Avengers|| Movie duration: 150
After Sort by name:
Movie Name: Avengers|| Movie duration: 150
Movie Name: Forest Gump|| Movie duration: 130
Movie Name: GodFather|| Movie duration: 200
Movie Name: Inception|| Movie duration: 110
Movie Name: Inception|| Movie duration: 110
Movie Name: GodFather|| Movie duration: 200
Movie Name: Forest Gump|| Movie duration: 130
Movie Name: Avengers|| Movie duration: 150
After Sort by name:
Movie Name: Avengers|| Movie duration: 150
Movie Name: Forest Gump|| Movie duration: 130
Movie Name: GodFather|| Movie duration: 200
Movie Name: Inception|| Movie duration: 110
As you can see here, we have used
lambda expression for using Comparator. So in spite of writing Anonymous comparator, our expression became very easy.
So we have passed 2 arguments o1 and o2, we didn’t pass type because it can be inferred from context.
We have only one statement here, so no need to put it in curly braces.
HelloWorld Lambda Expression Example
Create an Interface Called HelloWorld
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package org.arpit.java2blog; public interface HelloWorld { void sayHello(); } |
Create a class called HelloWorldMain
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package org.arpit.java2blog; public class HelloWorldMain { public static void main(String args[]) { // Lambda Expression HelloWorld helloWorld=()->System.out.println("Hello using Lambda Expression"); helloWorld.sayHello(); } } |
Run above program you will get the following output:
Hello using Lambda Expression
Hope you understand Lambda expression now, in next post, we will see more examples of it.
Excellent blogs for lambda expression.