Which Java version introduced the Stream API?

The Stream API was introduced in Java 8, marking a significant evolution in the Java programming language by incorporating functional programming concepts. Java 8 was a major release that brought several new features aimed at making the language more modern and flexible, and the Stream API was a key component of this transformation.

Before Java 8, developers had to rely on traditional iteration techniques using loops, which could lead to verbose and less readable code. The introduction of the Stream API provided a more elegant solution for processing collections of data, enabling developers to write more concise and expressive code by chaining functional-style operations.

In addition to the Stream API, Java 8 also introduced other significant features like lambda expressions, which are closely tied to the use of streams, and the Optional class, which helps in handling null values more gracefully. Together, these features made Java 8 a pivotal release that greatly enhanced the language’s capabilities.