Java 8
Java 8 is a major release of the Java programming language, introduced by Oracle in March 2014, that brought significant enhancements to the language and platform. It introduced key features like lambda expressions, the Stream API, and the java.time package, which modernized Java for functional programming and improved date/time handling. This version is widely regarded as a turning point that made Java more expressive and efficient for concurrent and data-processing tasks.
Developers should learn Java 8 because it is a foundational version still widely used in enterprise applications, backend systems, and Android development, offering improved productivity with features like lambdas and streams. It is essential for maintaining legacy codebases and is often a prerequisite for learning newer Java versions, as many subsequent updates build upon its concepts. Use cases include building scalable web services with frameworks like Spring, processing large datasets efficiently, and developing Android apps before newer Android APIs.