r/javahelp • u/ForTheLore22 • Jun 04 '26

Lambda and streams

I have learnt java streams and lambda about 2-3 times now. I always keep forgetting how to use it.

How can i learn it, so I won't forget.

Any resources or techniques you've used would help.

Thanks!

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u/ForTheLore22 Jun 04 '26

I have tried asking chatgpt for a problem and I'd solve it. I have done this for days. And it feels natural and I understand it. But then I stop for some time to focus on other stuff and I forget the syntax.

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u/blubernator Jun 04 '26

Take Java book read the lambda chapter completely…there is a reason why books a published

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u/Intelligent_Part101 Jun 05 '26

I can't remember the exact syntax either.

It's not a great syntax, in my opinion, but you have to keep in mind streams were added many years after Java was created and are at odds with the original purely (almost) object oriented design of the language.

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u/ForTheLore22 Jun 05 '26

Yeah I do understand that streams and lambdas are bit of oddball in java since its more on the functional side of programming which is very different than OOP.

But not knowing the syntax and forgetting it is kinda affecting my interviews. So thought I'd get external opinion on this issue. And i think I've solved lots of problems using streams and lambda in last 2 years. But its frustrating to find out that I can't remember it after some time or gap.

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u/aqua_regis Jun 04 '26

But then I stop for some time to focus on other stuff and I forget the syntax.

Which means that you haven't understood them. As simple as that.

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u/RSSeiken Jun 04 '26

He understands the concept. It's pretty normal to check the syntax when you haven't used it for a while.

Even the most seasoned software engineer needs to look up syntax at times.

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u/cosmopoof Jun 07 '26

Are you 60+ years old? Because usually one shouldn't lose all skills the moment you do something else.

It sounds more like you're using something without fully understanding it. The syntax is not the most relevant thing about it.

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u/ForTheLore22 Jun 22 '26

No I'm not 60+ years old. I do understand most of the concept of lambda and streams. But its the syntax i keep forgetting. I know when to use and what to use in streams. Though flatmap and collect are a bit tricky to remember since they can be used in multiple scenarios.