Java 8 introduced several significant features that fundamentally changed the way Java programming is done. Here's a list of the key features:
- Lambda Expressions
- Functional Interfaces
- Stream API
- Default Methods in Interfaces
- Optional Class
- Nashorn JavaScript Engine
- New Date and Time API (java.time package)
- Method References
- Collectors in Stream API
- Parallel Array Sorting
- Type Annotations
- Base64 Encoding and Decoding
- Static Methods in Interfaces
- ForEach Method in Iterable Interface