While working with functional programming in Java, there are several do’s and don’ts. Let’s go over the most common ones. By making use of these tips, you can improve your functional programming code-base with good results.

Standard Functional Interfaces

The Functional interfaces in “java.util.function” are good enough to fulfill requirements for method references and lambda’s target types. As explained earlier, these interfaces are abstract, thereby making it easier to customize them freely into a lambda expression. Hence, before writing new functional interfaces, makes sure to check this package which may satisfy your requirements.

Suppose you have in interface FuncInt

@FunctionalInterface

public interface FuncInt {

String f1(String txt);

}

Now you have a class for using the interface with the name useFuncInt which has a method for sum.

public String sum(String txt, FuncInt) {

return FuncInt f1(txt);

}

For execution of it, you would have to add the following:

FuncInt fi = txt -> txt + ” coming from lambda”;

String output = useFuncInt.add(“Message “, useFuncInt);

Now, if you observe closely, you will realize that FuncInt is a function which takes one argument and returns with an answer. With the release of Java 8, this functionality is enabled through the interface in “Function<T,R> which is entailed in the package of “java.util.function”. Our FuncInt can be fully eliminated and our code can be modified to.

public String sum(String txt, Function<String, String> f) {

return f.apply(txt);

}

For execution, write the following:

Function<String, String> f =

parameter -> parameter + ” coming from lambda”;

String output = useFuncInt.sum(“Message “, f);

Annotation Matters

Make the use of annotation by adding functional interfaces with the help of @FunctionalInterface. If you are unfamiliar with annotations, then put it with a tag which is used to represent the metadata; this could be related to an interface, method, field, or class about any useful information that can prove to be helpful for the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) or the complier.

The @FunctionalInterface may not seem logical at the first glance because without adding it, the interface would work fine as a functional one as long it contains only one abstract method.

However, in large-scale projects where the increasing number of interfaces may overwhelm you, manual control is tricky and exhaustive; it becomes a nightmare to keep track of it. Sometimes, an interface which was created as a functional interface may get additional abstract methods, therefore ceasing to exist as a functional interface. This is where the @FunctionalInterface annotation works like a charm. By using it the complier would display an error whenever there is any intrusion by a programmer to change the structure of a functional interface and disrupt its “purity”. Likewise, while working in teams, it can be helpful for other coders to understand your code and identify functional interfaces easily.

Hence, always use something like this,

@FunctionalInterface

public interface FuncInt{

String printSomething();

}

Instead of writing something like this:

public interface FuncInt{

String printSomething();

}

Even if you are working on beginner projects, make it a habit to always add the annotation or you may face the repercussions in future.

Lambda Expressions Cannot Be Used Like Inner Classes

When an inner class is used, “scope” is generated. This means that we can add variables which are local with the enclosing scope after instantiating local variables having identical names. The keyword “this” can also be used in our class for referencing to its own instance.

With lambda expressions, we work by using enclosing scope. This means that variables cannot be overwritten in the body of the lambda expression from the enclosing scope. We can use “this” for referencing.

For instance, for our class UseTest, we have “test” as our instance variable:

private String txt = “Encircling the scope”

Now, you can use another method of our class with the following code and run it like this:

public String example()

{

Test test = new Test();

String mssg = “inner value of the class”

@Override

Public String returnSomething(String txt)

Return this.mssg;

}

};

String output = test.returnSomething(“”);

Test testLambda = parameter -> {

String mssg = “Lambda Message”;

return this.mssg;

};

String outputLambda= testLambda.returnSomething(“”);

return “Output: output = “ + output + “outputLambda = “ + outputLambda;

When you will run the “example” method, you may get the following: “Output: output =  inner value of the class, outputLambda = Encircling the scope

This means that you can access and use a local variable by accessing its instance. By using “this”, you might have used the variable “test” of the UseTest class but you were unable to get the “test” value which in entailed in the body of the lambda.

Lines of Code in Lambdas

Ideally, lambda expressions should comprise of a single line of code because this makes it a self-explanatory concrete implementation where the clear execution of an action at some data is represented.

If you require more lines for your functionality, then write something like this:

Test test = parameter -> generateText(txt);

private String generateText(String txt) {

String output = “Some Text” + txt;

// several lines of code

return output;

}

Refrain from writing something like this:

Test test = txt -> { String output= “Some Text” + txt;

// several lines of code

return output;

};

Though, it is important to note that sometimes, it is ok to have more than one line of lambda expressions where the use of another method may prove to be counter-productive.

Type of Parameters

The compilers are powerful enough to ascertain the types of parameters in lambda expressions with type inference. Hence, there is no need for adding the parameter type explicitly.

Don’t write something like this.

(String x, String y) -> x.toUpperCase() + y.toUpperCase();

Instead, write something like this,

(x, y) -> x.toUpperCase() + y.toUpperCase();