Method References(Java-8)

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Because this lambda expression invokes an existing method, you can use a method reference instead of a lambda expression:

[https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/methodreferences.html, 8th Aug 2021]

package j8.in.janisoftwares;
import java.util.stream.*;
public class StreamExample {
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		Stream.iterate(1, e -> e + 1)
		.filter(e -> e %5 == 0)
		.limit(10)
		.forEach(e -> System.out.println(e));
	}
}

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package j8.in.janisoftwares;
import java.util.stream.*;
public class MethodReferenceExample {
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		Stream.iterate(1, e -> e + 1)
		.filter(e -> e %5 == 0)
		.limit(10)
		.forEach(System.out::println);
	}
}

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15
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In Java8 we can use the method as if they were objects or primitive values, and we can treat them as a variable. The example shows the function as a variable in java

[https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/method-references-in-java-with-examples/, 8th Aug 2021]

Before Java 8, we could pass only 3 things in methods, namely:

• Primitive data type(s).
• Object references.
• Method invocation itself.

After Java 8, we can pass 1 more argument. i.e. Method Reference.

We can pass 4 types of Method references as argument in Java method.

• Static Method Reference.
• Instance Method Reference (of a particular object).
• Instance Method Reference (of an arbitrary object of a particular type).
• Constructor Reference.

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