Last Updated : 01 Aug, 2025
Lambda expressions in Java, introduced in Java SE 8. It represents the instances of functional interfaces (interfaces with a single abstract method). They provide a concise way to express instances of single-method interfaces using a block of code.
Key Functionalities of Lambda ExpressionLambda Expressions implement the only abstract function and therefore implement functional interfaces. Lambda expressions are added in Java 8 and provide the following functionalities.
Example: Implementing a Functional Interface with Lambda
The below Java program demonstrates how a lambda expression can be used to implement a user-defined functional interface.
Java
interface FuncInterface
{
// An abstract function
void abstractFun(int x);
// A non-abstract (or default) function
default void normalFun()
{
System.out.println("Hello");
}
}
class Test
{
public static void main(String args[])
{
// lambda expression to implement above functional interface.
FuncInterface fobj = (int x)->System.out.println(2*x);
// This calls above lambda expression and prints 10.
fobj.abstractFun(5);
}
}
Structure of Lambda Expression
Below diagram demonstrates the structure of Lambda Expression:
Syntax of Lambda ExpressionsJava Lambda Expression has the following syntax:
(argument list) -> { body of the expression }
Components:
There are three Lambda Expression Parameters are mentioned below:
Syntax:
() -> System.out.println("Zero parameter lambda");
Example: The below Java program demonstrates a Lambda expression with zero parameter.
Java
@FunctionalInterface
interface ZeroParameter {
void display();
}
public class Geeks {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Lambda expression with zero parameters
ZeroParameter zeroParamLambda = ()
-> System.out.println(
"This is a zero-parameter lambda expression!");
// Invoke the method
zeroParamLambda.display();
}
}
This is a zero-parameter lambda expression!2. Lambda with a Single Parameter
Syntax:
(p) -> System.out.println("One parameter: " + p);
It is not mandatory to use parentheses if the type of that variable can be inferred from the context.
Example: The below Java program demonstrates the use of lambda expression in two different scenarios with an ArrayList.
import java.util.ArrayList;
class Test {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Creating an ArrayList with elements {1, 2, 3, 4}
ArrayList<Integer> al = new ArrayList<Integer>();
al.add(1);
al.add(2);
al.add(3);
al.add(4);
// Using lambda expression to print all elements of al
System.out.println("Elements of the ArrayList: ");
al.forEach(n -> System.out.println(n));
// Using lambda expression to print even elements of al
System.out.println(
"Even elements of the ArrayList: ");
al.forEach(n -> {
if (n % 2 == 0)
System.out.println(n);
});
}
}
Elements of the ArrayList: 1 2 3 4 Even elements of the ArrayList: 2 4
Note: In the above example, we are using lambda expression with the foreach() method and it internally works with the consumer functional interface. The Consumer interface takes a single paramter and perform an action on it.
3. Lambda Expression with Multiple ParametersSyntax:
(p1, p2) -> System.out.println("Multiple parameters: " + p1 + ", " + p2);
Example: The below Java program demonstrates the use of lambda expression to implement functional interface to perform basic arithmetic operations.
Java
@FunctionalInterface
interface Functional {
int operation(int a, int b);
}
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Using lambda expressions to define the operations
Functional add = (a, b) -> a + b;
Functional multiply = (a, b) -> a * b;
// Using the operations
System.out.println(add.operation(6, 3));
System.out.println(multiply.operation(4, 5));
}
}
Note: Lambda expressions are just like functions and they accept parameters just like functions.
Common Built-in Functional InterfacesThese are commonly used in sorting and comparisons.
Note: Other commonly used interface include Predicate<T>, it is used to test conditions, Function<T, R>, it represent a function that take the argument of type T and return a result of type R and Supplier<T>, it represent a function that supplies results.
Based on the syntax rules just shown, which of the following is/are NOT valid lambda expressions?Explanation of above lambda expressions:
RetroSearch is an open source project built by @garambo | Open a GitHub Issue
Search and Browse the WWW like it's 1997 | Search results from DuckDuckGo
HTML:
3.2
| Encoding:
UTF-8
| Version:
0.7.4